The Weekend
by Dreamers Never Lie
Summary: If you're looking for a summary, listen to the song "The Weekend" by Steve Wariner as it is the song that inspired this Brock/Reba story.
1. Chapter 1

The Weekend

Chapter One

Reba Hart stood at the foot of her bed as she packed the suitcase that sat atop her navy blue comforter. She had had a long, gruelling day and the last thing she wanted to do was drive eight hours to meet her children, but here she was; packing for that very reason. Not only did she have quite the drive ahead of her, she was also going to be stuck in a car, alone, with Brock for _eight hours._ She knew god had a sense of humour, but she didn't know he was _that_ funny.

Reba rolled her eyes as she placed the last item of clothing in her suitcase and pulled the zipper across its track, sealing the deal on the trip to come. It was the last long weekend of the summer and lord knows, everyone and their mother would be on the road heading to their cottages and whatnot. Reba could smack Barbra Jean for being the mastermind behind this foolish plan, but she was already in Lubbock at her uncles lake house, _bless her heart._ Reba narrowed her eyes as the thought passed through her mind.

Barbara Jean and the kids had driven down the day before and because Brock and Reba both had jobs and couldn't get the extra day off, they had to wait to drive down. Reba would've said no if the kids hadn't been so insistent and, although she didn't want to admit it, she could use a weekend away. It was the getting there that caused her so much apprehension.

"Reba? Are you ready?" She heard the familiar voice shouting at the bottom of the stairs below. Maybe she should've thrown back a few jell-o shots first.

Reba grabbed the handle on her suitcase, pulling it out before rolling it down the hallway. She held a pillow underneath her arm and wore an unimpressed look on her face as she descended the stairs with suitcase in hand. Brock quickly took her bag from her before letting out a slight chuckle.

"What's with you?"

"I had a long, bad day and believe it or not, I don't really want to spend the next eight hours trapped in a car with my ex-husband." Reba ended with a huff, running her hand through her long red locks. Brock just rolled his eyes.

"God, Reba, lighten up. Did you ever stop to think that maybe this could be fun? Maybe like old times?"

"Yeah, except that was back when your hair wasn't dyed and your tan was natural. The mirror can back me up on this one, _Brock,_ a lot has changed _._ " Reba gave him a sickly-sweet grin before pushing passed him and walking out of the door.

"This is going to be a pleasant ride." Brock muttered to himself, but closed his lips tightly when he saw Reba look over her shoulder and shoot him a glare.

"I heard that, you mo-ron." He locked the door behind him and followed Reba to his SUV, all the while wondering if Barbara Jean's plan had really been such a good one.

* * *

As soon as they hit the freeway, Reba fell asleep almost immediately and Brock found himself hoping she'd sleep off her bad mood. He'd love nothing more than to enjoy this trip with the woman he used to consider his best friend; he missed having fun with her.

Reba stirred a bit beside him causing Brock to take his eyes off of the road for a moment to look at her. Her head was resting on the pillow that was pressed against the window and her mouth hung open as she slept. He couldn't help but laugh at the sight of her. He wished he had a camera and wasn't behind the wheel so he could snap a photo of it. He knew if she saw herself in that state, her cheeks would flush the same shade as her hair.

Brock hit a bump and swerved, quickly darting his eyes back to the road. Reba's head moved from the pillow long enough for it to fall from her grip, causing her head to hit a pillow-less window. Her eyes quickly darted open and Brock heard the clunk of her head against the glass. He flinched and waited for the yelling to commence.

"Ow! What the heck, Brock, drive much?"

"There was a racoon." He lied, watching Reba rub her temple out of the corner of his eye.

"Yeah, right." Reba rolled her eyes, knowing full well Brock was full of it. "How long was I out?" She asked once the throbbing of her head ceased.

"About an hour." Brock looked behind his shoulder, checking his blind spot before pulling out into the passing lane.

"It's getting dark already, I can't believe summers over." She reached forward and pressed the seek button on the radio until settling on a country station. Brock smiled to himself, she hasn't changed a bit.

"I know, it'll be Christmas before we know it."

Reba was about to respond when suddenly the soft music of the song hit her ears and she closed her mouth. She reached for the volume nob on the dash and turned it up before settling back in her seat. Brock recognized the song and knew he had heard her play it before. He decided to stay silent in hopes she would get lost in the music and sing along.

Reba looked out of the window and listened to the lyrics as she watched the fields pass by.

 _The face of an angel, pretty eyes that shine._

 _I lie awake at night, wishing you were mine._

 _I'm standing here holding the biggest heartache in town,_

 _Whenever you come around._

It had been so long since she had heard this song and a smile overtook her lips as she remembered how much she loved it. Before she could stop herself, she began to sing along with Vince Gill's sweet voice.

 _I get weak in the knees and I lose my breath._

 _Oh, I try to speak, but the words won't come I'm so scared to death._

 _And when you smile that smile, the world turns upside down._

 _Whenever you come around._

As soon as that angelic voice hit his ears, Brock felt his chest contract. She hit every note perfectly, just as she always had, and he realized how much he had missed that sound. Nothing made him smile more than when he'd come home from work and she'd be singing in the kitchen as she prepared dinner or when he'd walk into a room and she'd be holding Kyra in her arms and singing her a lullaby. He knew if she hadn't put her dreams on hold to pay for his dental school, she would've been a singer, and a successful one at that.

 _I feel so helpless, I feel just like a kid._

 _What is it about you that makes me keep my feelings his?_

 _I wish I could tell you, but the words can't be found._

 _Whenever you come around._

The words hit Reba harder than she had expected; she remembered all of the nights she had been listening to this song while cleaning the kitchen. She remembered how Brock would sneak up behind her and wrap his arms around her waist. She remembered how he'd take her hand and lead her to the middle of the kitchen before the two of them would hold each other close as they danced to the music.

Reba exhaled sharply and bit her lip. Of all the times these memories could flood her mind, it had to be when she was alone with her ex in a car for eight hours. It had been six years, but every once in awhile the good memories would rush back and remind her of what once was.

"I remember this song." Brock said, finally remembering why it sounded so familiar. "We've danced to it. In the kitchen. After dinner clean up." The memory was bittersweet, pain and happiness fighting hard against each other in his chest. When their relationship had been good, _it had been good._ They had shared so much love, the love they had given up. The love he had been selfish with and ruined.

"Yeah. I was just thinking about that." Reba felt uncomfortable almost immediately and rubbed her sweaty palms against her jeans.

"We had some good times." Brock said absentmindedly.

Reba nodded, but didn't respond as she listened to the music fading from the speakers. She was thankful the song was over. She didn't like to remember what she was missing, what she'd always miss.


	2. Chapter 2

The Weekend

Chapter Two

The two sat in silence and listened to the radio for almost an hour. The last thing Reba wanted to do was spend this car ride reminiscing with Brock. That was a dangerous game that she had no intention playing.

Reba watched Brock out of the corner of her eye. She watched as he closed his eyes and quickly jerked them open and shook his head. Her eyes widened and she reached over and pinched his leg.

"I'm not dyin' on this road tonight, Brock, you stay awake or we're pullin' over!"

"I'm fine, Reba, calm down." He opened his eyes wide in hopes of keeping himself awake and stared at the concrete in front of him. He thought he could make it through the night without stopping. Hell, he had done it on countless occasions before, but he was younger then.

Reba watched Brock intently from the passenger seat. She refused to let her last breath be drawn in this car. If she was going to die in a car at all, it would be in a thunderbird convertible, crashing in a blaze at the bottom of the Grand Canyon with Barbara Jean in the seat next to her.

She watched as Brock drifted off for a split second once again. "Alright, that's it! We're pulling over."

"We can't just pull over, we're in the middle of nowhere. At least let me wait until the next exit."

"Fine, but if you drift off again, I'll smack yah."

Brock just rolled his eyes before squinting at an upcoming sign.

"There's a motel coming up, maybe we should crash there for the night."

"But we told the kids—"

"Well, we can call them and let them know we're stopping. I'm falling asleep and, if your mood is any indication, you could use some rest, too." Reba rolled her eyes at his jab, but continued to contemplate his words. "Plus, if we leave early in the morning, we can still get there before noon."

"Maybe you're right."

"I'm sorry, say that again?" Brock hadn't heard those words in a very long time.

"I said, you're right. Don't get used to it." Reba tried to hold in her smile, but she failed.

"That's what I thought you said." He gave Reba a triumphant grin before quickly pulling off of the interstate and onto the ramp that led to the motel. They noticed the packed parking lot as they pulled up to the motel. Of course it was busy, it was a long weekend and everyone was headed out of town. That thought didn't even cross Reba's mind.

"It looks packed, I hope there's a couple rooms left."

Brock nodded and parked off to the side. "Well, let's go and find out."

The two got out of the car and walked towards the motel. Brock watched as Reba walked ahead of him. He hair was longer and it fell just passed her shoulders. She hadn't had long hair like that since college and the sight brought memories back to him. His eyes travelled further down her back and rested on the form fitting jeans she was wearing. They fit every curve perfectly and Brock gulped at the sight. _Knock it off!_ He chastised himself. It was not the time nor the place for him to be checking out his _ex wife._

"Are you coming or what?" Reba called over her shoulder and Brock quickly jogged to catch up to her. This was going to be a long night.

The two entered the lobby of the motel to find no one in sight. Brock looked around before spotting the bell on the desk and tapped his finger on the tiny, silver nob, sending a ping throughout the room.

A plump woman with grey hair and glasses emerged from the office behind the desk.

"Hi there!" She said in a sweet voice and Brock and Reba both smiled in response. "Let me guess, you're looking for a room?"

"Well, two actually. Do you have anything left?" Brock questioned and the lady flipped through the book in front of her.

"It looks like we only have one room available." The woman looked up and made eye contact with Brock, who quickly turned to Reba.

She really didn't like the idea of sharing a room with him, but they both needed to sleep and as long as it had two beds, she could make that sacrifice. She nodded and Brock turned her attention back to the woman in front of him.

"As long as it has two beds."

"Unfortunately, sir, all we have left is a room with a double bed."

"Couch?" His heart was beating fast. _Please, dear god, tell me it has a couch._

The woman shook her head and he sighed before turning back to Reba. Reba saw the look in his eyes and knew what he was getting at.

"Nope. No. Uh uh. Not happening. See yah." She started walking towards the door, but Brock quickly grabbed her arm to stop her.

"C'mon, Reba, it's all they have left and there's not another motel for miles. I'll sleep on the floor or in the bathtub. You can have the bed. Just, please."

"Ugh, fine. But I swear to god, Brock, if you try anything I will hurt you." She moved close to his face as she spoke, pointing a finger at him, and the look in her eyes told him she was serious.

The woman behind the desk smiled to herself as she watched the scene in front of her unfold. A couple? No. Divorced, perhaps. But why? The two clearly belonged together, she thought to herself. All that fire, all those sparks. _Such a shame._

"We'll take it." Brock smiled and the women nodded and began to prepare the paperwork.

* * *

"Yes, honey, we're fine. Your dad was gettin' tired and I was, too, so we decided to stop for the night, but we'll be there before the afternoon tomorrow." Reba nodded as she listened to Cheyenne speak through the phone. "Uh huh! Yep! Okay, I'll see you tomorrow, sweetie, I love you."

"Did you tell them we have to share a room?" Brock asked as he walked into the motel room with their luggage.

"I thought I'd leave out the tidbit of information, it's embarrassing enough as it is." Reba set her phone on the night stand. The room stank of potpourri and the walls were covered in a god awful green and white floral wallpaper. It wasn't ideal, but it was better than nothing.

Brock nodded, understanding where Reba was coming from, but if he was being honest, he wasn't too upset about the whole situation. In fact, he found it kind of funny.

Reba grabbed her bag and walked into the washroom. It was small, but clean and that's all that mattered. After cleaning the makeup off of her face, she reached into her bag and pulled out her night gown. It was a royal blue, silky number. She hadn't expected to have to share a room with Brock and it's all she brought. _Of all the things you could've chosen._ She rolled her eyes at herself, of course this would happen.

Brock was just about to dose off when Reba finally exited the bathroom. His eyes widened at the sight of her. She wore a silky blue night gown with spaghetti straps that was long enough to cover her bum from his eyes, but not the long legs that held her up. The heat had gotten to her hair, which had grown in size and suddenly, he was staring at the women he fell in love with during his college years. He gulped down the nerves that were rising in his chest.

"Quit staring. I didn't think I'd have to share a room with you and this is all I brought." She set her bag down next to the bed and quickly climbed underneath the covers.

"Hey, I'm not complaining. I just wish you wore that when we were married." Brock winked and Reba's jaw dropped. She grabbed the pillow next to her and hurled it at his head.

"You're married and we're divorced, Brock. You can't say stuff like that." He held his hands up in defeat and set the pillow she had thrown at him on the edge of the bed. He walked into the bathroom with a smirk on his face, closing the door behind him. Reba let out a long sigh. She didn't like the feeling she got in her chest when his eyes were roaming her body. It felt as if a fire had been ignited inside of her. For the sake of both of them, she hoped the night passed by quickly and they could be on the road as soon as possible.

Brock walked out of the bathroom in nothing but a pair of boxers. Reba couldn't help but stare at the man in front of her. It had been a very long time since she had seen him in that way and the lack of clothing sent memories flashing through her mind.

"Are you checking me out?" Brock asked, grinning from ear to ear. Reba's cheeks flushed red and she quickly looked away. Brock loved to needle her.

"Don't be silly." Reba said, wishing the warmth in her cheeks would fade.

"If I'm sleeping on the floor, you're going to need to part with a blanket."

Reba peeled the comforter from the bed and handed it to him, the room was warm and she knew she wouldn't need it.

"Here."

Brock took it from her and placed his pillow on the floor beside the bed. He laid down on top of the comforter and rested his head against the pillow, staring at the ceiling.

"Goodnight, Reba."

"Goodnight, Brock."


	3. Chapter 3

The Weekend

Chapter Three

Reba tossed and turned for what felt like hours. She finally lifted her head and looked at the clock that sat atop the nightstand: 12:30 AM. It had only been an hour since Brock and herself had gone to sleep. She collapsed back onto the pillow in a huff. _So much for this night passing by quickly._

Reba swung her feet out from under the sheets, placing them on the ugly green carpet that covered the floor. Maybe a glass of water would help ease the heat that was radiating throughout her body. As she made her way to the bathroom, her foot connected with Brock's sleeping form on the ground, sending her body flying towards the floor. She landed directly on top of Brock as a screech escaped her lips.

"Ow!" He called out when the weight of her body came crashing down on top of him. "What the hell!"

"I'm sorry." Reba finally said after adjusting herself to the change of position. Suddenly, she was very aware of her body against his and she felt his hand on the small of her back. She stared at the lips that were curled into a smile and she could feel the warmth of his breath hitting her lips.

"You know, Reba. All you had to do was ask."

The look in her eyes turned to anger at his joke and she smacked him against his chest before standing and walking back to her bed.

"I was just kidding." He rubbed the spot she had smacked on his chest. He wondered if she'd still be this violent if she hadn't been blessed with red hair.

A few moments of silence passed between them and Brock had to wonder, if he hadn't spoken too soon, would they have kissed?

Reba decided to speak as she stared at the ceiling above her head. "Were you asleep?" Her voice was soft, not harsh like it had been before.

"The floor isn't exactly the most sleep inspiring place I've ever laid. I don't think I'll be getting much sleep tonight."

Reba felt bad, she really did. She knew he only offered to drive because she didn't like to drive for long distances. He needed the sleep more than she did, that couldn't be argued. She had no intention of driving on that busy interstate this weekend.

"Come on then." She said before she could change her mind.

"What?"

"If I let you share this bed with me, you have to promise to stay on your side. This whole thing is already too weird, but you've actually managed to make me feel bad for you."

"Reba, it's okay. I wouldn't want to —"

"Brock, this is a one time offer. If you say no, I won't ask you again."

"Okay." He grabbed his pillow from the floor and walked to the other side of the bed.

"Any body part that touches me, I'll have to cut off. Keep that in mind."

Brock rolled his eyes and climbed into bed, knowing full well she meant every word. Reba took the extra pillow that sat next to her and put it in between the two of them.

After the two settled in for a moment, Reba exhaled feeling relieved that it wasn't as weird as she thought it would be. I guess sleeping in the same bed for almost twenty years had prepared her for this. Suddenly, she felt something move against her leg and she felt rage fill her chest. He couldn't just listen to her for once in his life.

"I mean it, Brock! Don't touch me!" Her voice was filled with anger, but Brock only scrunched his eyebrows together, wondering what the heck she was talking about.

"Reba, I'm not, I swear! I'm all the way over here!" She looked over and saw that he was, in fact, at the other end of the bed. Then what was touching her?

She screamed as she felt the thing crawl against her skin and jumped out from underneath the sheets.

"What is that, Brock?" Panic filled her voice and he quickly jumped out of the bed and turned on the lamp. He looked under the sheet and saw a beetle crawling from one end of the bed to the other.

"Relax, Reba, it's just a bug." He scooped up the beetle and carried it into the washroom where he flushed it down the toilet.

"There was a bug. In the bed." Reba pointed to the bed and felt her skin crawl at the thought. She was tough, but the one thing she didn't do was bugs. "How am I ever supposed to sleep now?"

Brock rolled his eyes and checked under the sheets to make sure there were no more beetles hiding under there.

"C'mon, Reba, get back into bed. I checked and it's all clear." She stood there with her arms crossed across her chest and her hair was a mess. Brock let out a slight chuckle at the look on her face. "Honey, it's fine. Let's go back to sleep."

Reba felt her entire chest contract as the word _honey_ radiated throughout her head. He hadn't spoken to her like that since they had been married and she had to admit, she liked the way it sounded slipping off of his lips.

Reba finally gave in and climbed back into bed. Brock turned the lamp off next to him and settled back against his pillow. He felt a weird sensation in his chest, one he couldn't describe. It had been so long since Reba needed him and as he rescued her from that bug, it felt as if something in him clicked. Maybe it sounds silly, but he was sure of it.

Reba turned on her side and faced Brock, all the while forgetting to put the extra pillow back between them. She watched as his chest moved as he breathed. She was thankful to have Brock around at that very moment to rescue her that bug, as much as she hated to admit that and as juvenile as it sounded.

"Reba, go to sleep. There are no more bugs." He could feel her eyes on him and had to contain his smile. It had been so long since the two of them had shared a bed together.


	4. Chapter 4

The Weekend

Chapter Four

The room had cooled down significantly throughout the night and as the sun peaked through the curtains and landed on her pale skin, Reba couldn't help but smile at the warmth. It was the perfect contrast to the coolness of the air that surrounded her.

"Mm, good morning, sweetie."

"Good morning." Reba smiled as she moved into the warm body that rested underneath her head. She hadn't felt this relaxed in quite some time.

 _Wait_ , _what?_

Reba opened her eyes to come face-to-face to Brock, who smiled contently as he held her close, his eyes closed all the while. A look of horror passed through Reba's eyes at the realization she was wrapped up in her ex-husbands arms.

Brock felt Reba shift beside him and opened his eyes. The look of panic that played on her face was enough for him to realize what had happened. The two quickly pushed away from each other, the sheets flying as they did so. Reba pulled the covers to her chest and sat back against her pillow, the horrified look never leaving her face.

"Uh… What just happened?" Brock said in an attempt to break the uncomfortable silence that had fallen between them. They had been together for one night and had already fallen back into the routine they were once so very familiar with. He couldn't help but crave the warmth her body had supplied before moving away so quickly.

"Nothing worth discussing." Reba laughed nervously, all the while feeling butterflies in her stomach at the familiar-ness of what had just occurred. He had held her close, so close.

"Okay." As much as Brock wanted to analyze it, he knew better than to push Reba into doing something she didn't want to do. She was a stubborn red-head, after all…

The room filled with silence once again, quickly becoming unbearable for the two of them as they sat their awkwardly. Reba kicked herself for forgetting to put a pillow in between them. She should've known better. When they were married, they always woke up in each other's arms. It's like they were magnets; they were just drawn to each other no matter what. _No matter what._ Reba played over those three words in her mind. What did that mean?

"Did you sleep good?" Brock finally asked, his words cutting through the silence.

"Yep. You?"

"Yep."

"Good!" Reba nodded, wishing she was anywhere but here.

"Yeah."

Silence, once again. Reba rolled her eyes, this was so silly.

"Listen, why don't I go and get us some coffee? I noticed a coffee shop across the road last night when I was bringing the luggage in."

"That is a great idea!" She jumped up from her seat on the bed and pointed a finger at Brock. "Bet I haven't said that before." She cracked, trying her best to hide the nerves that filled her body.

Brock ignored her comment and stood from the bed, walking into the bathroom. He came out a moment later, fully dressed, and quickly slipped his shoes on.

"Why don't you get ready while I'm gone so we can leave in the next hour or so."

Reba nodded her head and as Brock stared at her, she was suddenly very aware of the lack of clothing she had on.

In the morning light, Brock couldn't help but notice how stunning she looked in her silky blue night gown. Her skin was so creamy and he had forgotten the constellations of freckles he had once adored. He had the urge to reach out and touch her, to see if she was really real, but stopped himself as her words brought him out of his trance.

"Okay, sounds good."

Brock left the room and let out the breath he had been holding in once he was out of her sight. These thoughts, these feelings, whatever they were, had to stop.

Reba stood in the shower and let the water rush over her face. They needed to get on the road and to their family and forget any of this ever happened. It was beginning to feel all too familiar and Reba didn't like it. And the thing that troubled her the most: she had liked the way it felt to be in his arms again.

She smacked her cheeks in an effort to rid herself of these thoughts, but instead she found herself remembering how his hands used to feel against her skin and how her body melted under the weight of his lips.

Reba turned off the water abruptly and ripped open the shower curtain, stepping onto the cold tile. _Not today, Satan, not today._

After putting product in her hair and throwing on some light makeup, she looked around for her bag which was nowhere in sight. _Craaaaaaap._ She had left it in the other room.

Reba adjusted the towel that was wrapped around her body to ensure there was no risk of it falling from her. She opened the door a crack to see if Brock had come back. He was nowhere in sight, thank goodness.

Brock held two cups of coffee stacked on top of each other in one hand, resting them under his chin to make sure he wouldn't drop them, and unlocked the door to their room with his free hand. He walked into the room with his head down and pushed the door closed with his foot. He dropped the keys on the table and moved the coffees so there was one in each of his hands. However, he quickly froze when he saw what was standing in front of him or should he say, who. Reba was frozen in place wearing nothing but a towel. _Oh, sweet Jesus, was this a dream?_

She waved awkwardly at him and smiled before quickly grabbing her bag from the chair and running back into the washroom. Brock just stood there, staring at where she had stood just moments before, a dopey look covering his face. Someone was playing a cruel joke on him and before he knew it, he was bombarded with thoughts of the skin that lies underneath that towel, that short, easily removable, towel…

Before Brock's thoughts could wander further, Reba walked out of the bathroom in a black tee-shirt and a pair of blue jeans.

"Here." Brock said and handed her a coffee, his cheeks were still flushed from their run-in only moments ago.

"Thanks." The first sip hit the back of her throat and she felt her whole body sigh as the caffeine coursed through her veins.

"You know... You're legs look as good as they always did." Brock said slyly before taking a sip of his coffee.

His comment cause her jaw to drop, but she quickly closed it before he could benifit from her reaction. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

"We have a problem." Brock said abruptly as he walked back into the motel room. They were just getting ready to head out and Reba didn't like the sound in his voice.

"What?"

"Someone slashed our tires."

"Excuse me?"

"I said – "

"I heard what you said, Brock, I just mean… what the heck!" Someone slashed their tires? Why would someone do that? _Who_ would do that?

"And not just one, all of them which means I'll have to take it to a mechanic."

"Just when you think nothin' worse can happen." Reba mumbled to herself.

Reba sat in the waiting area at the auto shop where the tow truck had taken the car. She drummed her nails against the arm of the chair as she waited impatiently. They should've already been on the road by now. At this rate, they'll never make it there.

"What'd he say?" She jumped out of her chair and eagerly asked Brock as he walked into the room. She knew it wasn't good news when he ran his fingers through his disheveled, blond hair.

"They'll fix it, but they don't have the tires here so they'll have to bring them in, but because tomorrow's Saturday, they won't be here until Monday. Which means – "

"Which means we're stuck here all weekend." Reba finished his thought before he could, realizing what a crap storm this whole trip was turning out to be.

"Yeah." He let out an exasperated sigh. It was as if the universe was forcing them to spend this weekend together. Alone.

"So, do you wanna break the news to the kids or should I?" Reba stared intently at him, waiting for his answer.


	5. Chapter 5

The Weekend

Chapter Five

Reba waited outside of the auto shop as Brock called Barbara Jean to let her know about their unfortunate circumstance. The sun cut through the leaves that danced in the warm breeze, shining on Reba's porcelain skin. She smiled and closed her eyes as she enjoyed the warmth on her face. It was only the beginning of September and the leaves were already starting to change in colour. She could smell fall in the breeze, the falling leaves, and she could feel the crisp air as if it surrounded her at that very moment. She loved fall and as she thought about that very fact, she couldn't contain her excitement; she was ready for what was to come. The colours, the beauty, the coolness, all of it. It couldn't come soon enough.

"Barbara Jean took the news better than I thought she would." The bells above the door were music around her for a split second as he walked out of the shop and stood next to her.

Reba tore her eyes away from the tree in front of her and looked at Brock. He ran a hand through his hair which lit up in the rays of the sun. She nodded, surprised that after all the planning that had gone into this trip, Barbara Jean was okay with her two favourite people not making it.

"It was the kids that were upset, I could hear Van whining in the background as he eavesdropped on the conversation." Brock chuckled softly, thinking back to the conversation he had just had moments before.

"Now why doesn't that surprise me." Reba smiled and Brock watched as her hair turned a fiery red in the glow of the sun. God, it didn't matter how many years passed, she would always be just as beautiful as that very first time he laid eyes on her.

"Do you want to walk back to the motel? It's such a beautiful day out, we might as well." He put his hands in the pockets of his jeans and gestured to the sidewalk with a nod of his head as he spoke.

"Well, we're stuck here for three more days, we might as well kill some time." Reba stood from the bench that she was seated on and headed towards the sidewalk, Brock following beside her. If she was being honest, it felt sort of weird being alone with Brock. It had been so long since the two had been friends without Barbara Jean or the kids around, she wasn't sure they knew how to anymore. It felt awkward.

"So…" Brock stopped for a moment, what did the two of them talk about when they weren't discussing the kids or Barbara Jean's crazy antics? "How's work been?"

Reba smiled at his hesitation, now she knew he felt it, too. "This is weird, isn't it?"

"You noticed, too?" He gave her a side glance, smiling in relief that he wasn't alone in this.

"Yeah, it's been so long." Reba looked at the cars driving passed the two of them. Those people didn't know their story, they had no idea who they were or that they were divorced and she had to wonder, did the two of them look like a couple in those strangers eyes?

"I know." Silence passed between them for a long moment before Brock spoke again. "But it might be nice to have our friendship back, even if it is for a little while, you know?" Reba nodded at his words, did she ever know. "That's the thing I miss the most, our friendship." He finished his thought and watched her out of the corner of his eye.

"We had some fun times, that's for sure." A smile played on both of their lips as memories ran through their minds. Maybe this weekend wouldn't be as bad as she thought. I mean, it could be worse. She could be stranded here with Barbara Jean.

* * *

Twenty minutes had passed as the two walked through the small town and it hadn't taken long at all for them to fall back into the friendship they had once known. They talked about the kids, about Barbara Jean and Broque, about their nosey neighbours, and about life as a whole. They laughed and reminisced about their college days, talked about their old friends and all the crazy situations they had been stuck in back in those days. It felt good, Reba had to admit, to realize all of those things hadn't vanished. They still had their memories, regardless of them no longer being husband and wife.

Before they knew it, they had walked all the way back to their motel. Reba glanced at her watch, it was only 11:30 AM, not even noon yet.

"What the heck are we going to do all weekend? It's not even noon yet!" She looked around to see if she could spot anything worthwhile.

"We passed a cute little café, you hungry?" Brock looked down the street and then back to Reba. They had only had coffee this morning and knowing Reba, her stomach must be growling.

"We've had so much excitement this morning, I almost forgot about food!" She rubbed her stomach, feeling it grumble underneath her palm.

They walked about half a mile before spotting the café they had passed not long ago. It sat nestled between a flower shop and a bookstore. It was subtle, nothing showy enough to catch your eye as you drove passed it, but as Reba looked at it she noticed how cute and quaint it was. It was painted white and it wasn't as tall as the stores beside it. Flowers lined the edge of its window; pinks, reds, and purples, all popping before her eyes. The large window covered most of the front of the building except the white brick surrounding it. A few green vines climbed the bricks and disappeared over the roof.

It was beautiful.

Brock opened the door for her and it chimed as she walked through it, Brock's hand on the small of her back, his warmth igniting a small fire across the skin underneath her tee-shirt. She tried to ignore it, but the more she did, the warmer the fire burned.

"Welcome to Forget Me Not café, I don't recognize you folks so you must be new." The woman greeted them with the biggest smile Reba had ever seen. Her cheeks were plump and pink in colour and her grey hair was tied back in a tight bun. Brock and Reba both smiled and nodded their heads, everyone in this tiny town was so friendly. "The menu is behind me and you order here and then you take a seat and I'll bring it over when it's ready."

Reba read the chalkboard that covered the wall behind the counter. The menu was written in the most beautiful handwriting she had ever seen and she suddenly felt appreciation for the time and money that must've gone into this place.

"Do you know what you want?" Brock said quietly as he leaned into her, his question warm on her ear and she felt his hand press gently against her lower back once again. Reba felt that familiar fire once again and her breath caught in her throat.

"Y-yes." She smiled at the women who waited intently in front of her before finally ordering her meal, Brock doing the same once Reba had finished.

Brock led them to a small table at the back of the café. The table and chairs matched the walls, wearing a warm white which contrasted nicely against the dark hardwood floors. Brock pulled out her chair and Reba sat down and for some odd reason, she felt excitement wash over her. Brock sat across from her and rested his elbows on the table, interlacing his fingers as he looked around the small room.

"It's cute, huh?"

"I love it." Her eyes lit up with her words and Brock felt his heart pounding against his ribcage when he saw the smile that followed.

She began to talk as they waited for their food, about what, he wasn't sure. All he could do was watch the woman in front of him. He smiled when she smiled, not because of her words, but because of the beauty that radiated from such a small act. He had forgotten how happy just watching her could make him. He had no wife, no kids, no anyone to worry about seeing the look he knew was in his eyes as he stared at her. He could finally look at her like she's the only person in the room, a habit he had always carried with him. One he had had to supress for so long, but not this weekend. Not right now.

"Alrighty, folks, you're foods ready!" The woman said as she came to a halt in front of their table. Reba smiled at the idea of food and Brock forced himself to tear his eyes away from her.

"Thank you!" Reba sang before the woman walked away. Brock stole one last glance at her, their eyes connecting for a split moment, and they smiled at each other.

What was happening inside of him? He didn't recognize this feeling.

* * *

"If you folks are looking for something to pass the time, you should walk down to the waterfront, it's pretty at this time of the year." The woman smiled as she dried the bowl she held in her hand.

"Well, thank you! We just might do that!" Reba gave the woman her best smile before walking out of the little café, Brock close behind her. "Do you want to walk down there?" She adjusted her jacket against her body and looked at Brock.

"Absolutely!" He walked forward eagerly and Reba stepped back, shocked by his response, but quickly followed him. He had been in a weird mood ever since they had sat down at their table and she couldn't help but wonder why.

Before they knew it, the two of them were walking slowly through the park that winded around the lake which moved with the warm breeze. The woman had been right, it was beautiful. The small trees that littered the park were bare, but the pink petals that had once inhabited their bare branches covered the ground below them and it made the park look like it was pulled right out of a fairy-tale. The willow trees danced around them as they followed the sidewalk that curved throughout the green grass.

"Remember that time Cheyenne came home from preschool and told us she had fallen in love?" Brock chuckled to himself as he brought up the memory he knew would cause a smile to spread across her lips.

"Of course I do, 'Mama, I'm in love with a boy!'" She did her best impression of a four year old Cheyenne. "She stood there with her dolly in one hand and her other hand on her hip. God, we should've known back then that she'd be pregnant so soon." Reba cracked and smiled at Brock whose eyes were on the ground in front of him, a smile on his lips.

"Even if we'd known, I don't think I'd change anything. I love that little girl."

"Me, too." Reba stopped walking and leaned against the railing that protected them from falling into the lake. She watched the waves move in synch, appreciation filling her body.

"I would change one thing, though." He stopped walking and stood next her, watching her face as she looked out onto the lake. Her hair blew around her and he could smell her sweet perfume in the breeze as it hit his nostrils.

"Oh?" Reba said absentmindedly as she was only half listening to him, unable to take her attention off of the beauty in front of her.

"The hurt I caused you, my best friend… the love of my life."

Reba slowly turned her head to face him, had he just said what she thought he said? He gently took hold of the hand that fell against her side. He turned it over in his palm and softly ran his thumb across her skin. Reba shivered as she felt the effects of his skin against hers, even if it was an innocent gesture.

Brock interlaced his fingers with hers and tried desperately to look into her eyes. So many feelings had rushed back to him this afternoon and they had fallen out of his mouth before he could even think twice about it. He wanted to look into her eyes, to see how she felt, but all she did was stare down at their hands.

Brock brought his free hand to her chin and gently lifted her face so he could look into those beautiful blue eyes. The look in her eyes told him everything he needed to know. Before he could stop himself, his hand slid across her cheek to the back of her head and he gently pulled her face to his.

Reba's breathing was heavy and her skin was covered with goosebumps as she felt his fingers tangled in her hair and stared at the lips that were moving slowly towards hers. She wanted to stop him, she knew she had to stop him, but she was frozen, paralyzed, and no matter how hard she tried, her arms wouldn't move.

His lips touched hers and immediately fireworks went off around them. He dropped the hand he was holding and used it to pull her closer into his body. Reba wrapped her arms around his neck as their lips continued to move against each other. The familiarity washed over them and neither was able to stop. They held each other as close as they possibly could. Years had passed, yet nothing had change. They were the Brock and Reba they had always been.

They had been craving this kiss for six years.

A gust of wind billowed through the park, sending the pink petals that surrounded them up in a whirl wind. Time seemed to stop around them and it felt like the world was moving slowly, but just as quickly as the feeling had come, the realization of how wrong it all was followed.

Reba quickly pulled away from his body and broke the kiss. Her eyes were as wide as saucers and Brock washed as the panic rose up inside of her body.

"Reba –"

But before he could speak, she turned and began to walk away quickly.

"Reba!" He shouted and tried to catch up to her, but she only moved faster away from him.

What had she just allowed herself to do?


	6. Chapter 6

The Weekend

Chapter Six

Reba felt as if she had made it back to their motel room in ten seconds flat. Her heart was pounding against her chest and her anger was clouding her vision, but it wasn't Brock she was angry with. It was herself. How could she let herself kiss him? She couldn't believe it. She thought she knew better than that.

But his fingers against her skin and the look in his eyes took her by surprise. Before she knew what was happening his cologne had filled her senses, had drugged her, and she let their lips touch. She closed her eyes and brought her fingers to her lips, remembering how his had felt.

What really angered her the most was the fact that she enjoyed it. She had thought about kissing him ever since the moment he walked out of the door six years ago. Every look, every time his hands rested against her body, no matter how innocent, she remembered. She remembered the way his lips moved with hers, the way his voice sounded when he whispered sweet words into her ear, the way his hands felt against her flesh when there was no blouse to protect her from him. _She remembered it all._

But she didn't want to. She had tried so hard to move on, to move passed him over the years, but somehow, she always circled back to him. It was a vicious cycle, one that caused her heart so much pain. The only man she had wanted for the last six years was the very one she could not have.

Reba closed the motel door behind her, locking it to make sure no one would make an appearance, to make sure _he_ wouldn't make an appearance. She couldn't face him, not yet anyway.

She walked over to her bag and quickly pulled her black tee-shirt over her head, laying it on the bed next to her. She had spotted a bar across the road and what better way to avoid Brock than by going to a bar and drowning her sorrows in a bottle of whiskey? She rifled through her bag until she came across the blouse she was looking for, pulling it over her head in haste and adjusting it against her body; it criss-crossed at the front, creating a V-neck that accented her body perfectly.

Reba walked into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror above the sink as she adjusted the red curls that surrounded her face. Her shirt was a deep purple and she found herself lost in thought when she remembered it was Brock's favourite colour on her. He always said it made her vibrant hair pop.

She walked out of the washroom in a huff and grabbed her purse, slinging it over her shoulder. _That's it._ She picked her jacket up as she walked out of the motel room. She needed to get rid of these thoughts.

Brock watched from a distance as Reba exited their room, he was hoping to catch her before she ran. She always ran, but he didn't blame her. After everything he's done to her, he'd run too if he was in her position. He watched as she crossed the street and headed directly towards the bar that sat in the middle of the parking lot. Of course that's where she was headed, he should've known.

Brock let himself into their motel room and immediately saw her discarded tee-shirt on the bed. _Lord, the woman changed!_ Nothing good has ever happened when she's changed and headed to a bar, that's how she used to make him jealous in college.

He wasn't sure what to do next. Back then, he'd follow her because she was his, but now, she no longer belonged to him and what she does with her time, shouldn't be his concern. He walked over to the bed and took her small tee-shirt in his hand. It was still warm from her body that had been pressed against it just moments before. He brought it to his face and could still smell her. It shouldn't be his concern, that he was right about, but as much as he tried to believe that, he couldn't. It was his concern. He grabbed his keys and quickly exited the room. He was not about to let her runaway from this, not again. All they ever did was run from the feelings that they both still shared, they did that when he'd told her he'd made a mistake and they did that after their counselling session a year ago. They needed to talk.

Brock walked into the small bar and saw Reba seated at a table in the corner. Her hand rested on a small glass which he knew was filled with whiskey on the rocks; that was her go-to angry drink. He walked to the bar and ordered himself a beer, figuring he too could benefit from some liquid courage.

Reba rolled her eyes when she saw Brock approaching her table. She should've known he'd follow her. Her stomach was doing summersaults and, although her first instinct was to run, she knew they had to talk.

"We need to talk." Brock stood in front of her table, beer in hand.

She nodded and gestured to the open seat next to her. Brock sat down and took a sip of his beer, appreciating the cool as soon as it hit the back of his throat.

"I'm sorry I kissed you, Reba."

She took another swig of her whiskey as the memory of this afternoon rushed back to her. It burned as it made its way down her throat. "I didn't exactly try to stop you."

She was right, but he wasn't sure how to respond. He had a habit of talking himself into a whole and making the situation worse. "But still." He took another sip of his beer, watching her intently as she looked out onto the dance floor.

Reba felt his eyes on her and she felt naked under his gaze. He could make her feel sexy even in a paper bag. She downed the rest of her drink; no way was she having this conversation sober.

The colour of her blouse didn't go unnoticed by Brock. God, she looked so beautiful and he had to wonder, did she choose that colour on purpose or was it a coincidence? He watched as she threw back the rest of her drink and had the same idea, quickly chugging the rest of his.

"Want me to get you another one?" He stood from his seat, mug in hand.

"Sounds like a plan." She handed him her glass and waited as he walked to the bar.

As Brock waited at the bar for their drinks, he looked around the room. It was full of locals laughing and dancing, enjoying their night out. It reminded him of Terry's bar back in the day. He and Reba had spent so much time together there. He spotted a juke box next to the bar and smiled to himself. That's how the two of them had come across their song. He walked over to it, hope filling his chest. He flipped through it and there it was; the first song they had ever danced to together. _Their song._

The familiar guitar rift and beat of the drums radiated throughout the room and Reba felt her body stiffen as soon as the music hit her ears. _No._ She hadn't heard this song in almost seven years. She looked over her shoulder to see Brock standing next to the jukebox, a smile spread across his lips. She wanted to get up, she wanted to run, out of this town, out of this world, out of his life, but as he walked towards her, the whole world slowed and she felt herself under his spell.

Their eyes remained locked until he was standing in front of her and holding out his hand. "Dance with me."

"Brock, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Just get up and do it, I know you want to."

Reba knew doing this would be the worst thing for her given their situation, but as she thought about it, she didn't care. The booze warmed her belly and the song brought so many memories back to her. It's amazing what music can do to a person.

She took his hand and he led her out into the middle of the dance floor. He immediately wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. Reba rested her arms on his shoulders and swayed her body with his. Bruce Springsteen's sultry voice surrounded them as the lyrics that drove her wild rolled off of his tongue. Brock stared into her eyes and as much as she tried to look away, she couldn't. Their faces were mere centimeters apart and she could feel his breath on her lips. Alarm bells were going off inside of her, but she ignored them. It felt as if it were their first dance all over again.

 _I got a bad desire, oh, oh, oh, I'm on fire._

She felt Brock's hands move under the hem of her shirt and rest against the small of her back. He knew exactly what he was doing.

 _Tell me now, baby, is he good to you? And can he do to you the things that I do? Oh, no, I can take you higher. Oh, oh, oh I'm on fire._

Brock saw anger and desire fighting in her eyes, but he knew exactly what to do to drive her wild. How do you think he won her over in her college days? Her skin was warm and soft like it had always been and he found himself unprepared for the jolt that passed through his chest at their touch.

He watched as Reba's breath caught in her throat and her eyes closed; it was working. The tension between them was becoming unbearable.

 _Sometimes it's like someone took a knife, baby, edgy and dull and cut a six-inch valley through middle of my skull._

Reba could feel herself losing any amount of control she had and the walls she had worked so hard to put up, fell away with ease.

 _At night I wake up with the sheets soaking wet and a freight train running through the middle of my head. Only you can cool my desire. Oh, oh, oh, I'm on fire._

Brock brought his hand to her cheek, cupping it gently, and ran his thumb over her lips. Reba opened her eyes at his touch and found herself looking straight into his once again.

 _Oh, oh, oh, I'm on fire._

He slowly began moving his face closer to hers and her heart began to pound, feeling as if the distance between them was the largest distance there was. Their lips were millimetres apart and the anticipation was killing her. She thought he was about to kiss her, but just as their lips were about to connect, he surprised her by mouthing the last words of the song:

 _Oh, oh, oh, I'm on fire._

"Do you remember all of the times we danced to this song, made love to – " His voice was a whisper, but it was enough to bring Reba out of her trance. She backed away slowly, confusion filling his eyes. She could feel all of the eyes in the room on the two of them and it was becoming too much for her to handle.

"I can't, Brock." She snatched her purse from their table and headed out of the door. He watched as she disappeared from his view.

And there she was, running away once again.

"No." He said to himself, he wasn't going to let her do this again. He quickly ran after her, leaving a twenty on the bar as he did so.

She had already crossed the road and he saw her entering their motel room. He ran across the road and startled her when he entered the room just seconds after she had. Reba stood there, frozen, her eyes wide and filled with fear.

"Why not?" Brock was breathing heavily and his tone was harsh.

"Because, Brock, you're just having some fun for the weekend. I'll be in love for the _rest of my life._ " He could hear the hurt in her voice and see it in her eyes. Reba felt bare from her confession, she wasn't one to admit her feelings so easily.

Brock quickly walked towards her and placed his hands on her shoulders, looking deeply into her eyes. "Is that what you think I'm doing? Just having fun?" His voice was filled with anger and she tried to move away, but he held her firmly in his grip. "Reba, I left six years ago because I made a mistake and it was the right thing to do. I didn't have a choice." She ripped her shoulders from his grip and turned away. "But don't you ever think for a second that I left because I stopped loving you. I've loved you from the very first moment I met you." Her back faced him, but he could tell those words had hit her hard.

"We've been running from these feelings for six years, Reba. We have to stop, it's only going to get worse."

She turned to face him, but instead of speaking, she walked quickly towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Their lips connected immediately and his arms wrapped around her body, his hands roaming her back, touching, feeling, trying desperately to make sure she was real, this was real.

Their lips moved together in a fiery passion and they held each other as close as they possible could, feeling every inch of each other's bodies. His hands moved underneath her shirt and he stepped back, breathing heavily, and slid his hands up her sides, her shirt moving with them.

Reba closed her eyes, focusing on the feeling of his hands against her body. Her chest was about to explode. He pulled her shirt over her head and quickly grabbed his, removing it from his body in one sift motion. His lips found hers once again, they kissed slowly, in a daze, and enjoyed the feeling of their bare chests pressed together.

Reba brought her hand to his cheek and deepened their kiss. She gently trailed her fingers across his shoulders and down the length of his arm, sending chills throughout his body.

Brock broke their kiss and moved his lips to her neck, sending a trail of kisses across her shoulder and down her arm. He moved his kiss down her stomach as he began to kneel on the floor beneath her. Reba dug her fingers into his hair as he moved down the length of her body. He pulled away from her flesh and undid the button on her jeans, slowly pushing them down her legs.

Once he had discarded her jeans, he began to kiss up her legs, her stomach, her chest, her neck, covering her lips with his once again. God, he had forgotten just how beautiful she was.

Reba reached in between the two of them and unzipped his jeans, ridding them from his body. She ran her hands all over his chest, taking in all of his chiseled features. Brock wasted no time and pulled away to look into her eyes as he unclasped the back of her bra. His heart jolted at the sight of her as her bra fell to the floor. He attacked her mouth and lifted her into the air before gently laying her down on the bed.

Reba could feel herself about to lose it all, his hands on her body and his lips on hers were driving her insane. She couldn't take it anymore.

They quickly removed the remaining fabric from each other and just like that, the two were connected; all the tension that had been built up between them, released in an instant. A gasp escaped Reba's lips and she arched her back into his hips. It had been so long, but despite the years that had passed, it felt like home.

They moved together slowly and carefully, not wanting to rush it. They had waited so long for this; they needed to feel each other, be one with each other for as long as they could.

Brock ran his hands up her body, finding her finger tips and lacing his with her own, holding them above her head as he moved.

Reba wrapped her legs around his waist and held him close, wanting to feel every single bit of him for who knows what would happen next.

He let her fingers go and softly drug his nails down her arms, eliciting a moan from her lips. They matched each other's movements so perfectly and there was no doubt in his mind that the two were made for each other.

The air was thick around them and Reba found herself struggling for breath as the warmth in her belly began to build. She scraped her nails down his back and Brock couldn't stop the groan from escaping his mouth.

Reba could hear her heart beating in her ears and knew her world was about to explode. He slid his hands underneath her back and pressed her into him, her head falling back against the pillow as he did so. His lips found her chest and painted it with kisses.

Suddenly, everything lit up around her and the feeling that had been forming in her stomach exploded with intensity, sending chills and pleasure throughout her entire being.

"Oh, Brock!" Escaped her lips, a sound he had missed over the years.

Those words were enough to send him over the edge and he held her so tightly as the world came crashing down around him. He finally felt like he was where he needed to be. He had been so lost for so long and he couldn't figure out why, but now he knew. He belonged by her side, she was his purpose.

Reba rested her head against his chest as they both descended from their high. The amount of love she felt in her heart for him astounded her. Even after everything, he was the only one that mattered. They held each other close, not speaking just feeling. For the love they had been denying for six years was finally out in the open.

* * *

 **The song used in this chapter is** ** _I'm on Fire_** **by Bruce Springsteen and if you don't immediately go and listen to it, please be ensured that I am judging you.**


	7. Chapter 7

The Weekend

Chapter Seven

Silence filled the room and the only noise that could be heard was the sound of Brock's heart beating against his chest. Reba smiled and adjusted her head against him. They hadn't moved, hadn't spoken, they only held each other in silence. No words were needed, for the silence around them said it all. It didn't matter how many years they spent apart, their love had not died.

Brock slowly traced his fingers down the length of her arm, leaving her delicate skin tingling from his touch. He gently slid his fingers in between hers and lifted their intertwined hands into the air in front of his face. The two were finally where they needed to be for the first time in seven years: together. He smiled and brought her hand to his lips. He didn't want to live one more moment without her, not again.

Reba tried her hardest to stay in this moment, right here, but she found herself questioning what was to happen next. She tried to push the fear that was rising in her chest back down. She wanted to run away from it, to stay in this moment for the rest of her life. But she knew that was a foolish desire. He was married and she was no longer his wife.

"Oh, god." She said absentmindedly when it finally hit her. "Barbara Jean."

Brock felt her entire body stiffen against him. He knew this was bound to happen, he just wished it hadn't happened so soon. Of course he, too, felt the guilt settle in, but nowhere near the amount he knew Reba would feel. She had been in Barbara Jean's situation. She _knew_ what it felt like to be in her position. Although, he wished with every fibre of his being, that she didn't know. _She wasn't supposed to know._

"Reba, listen…"

"Oh, my god, Brock, what have we done? We have just done the most selfish thing… oh, god." She moved away from him before he could stop her and it wasn't long before she was hyperventilating. He'd only seen her this distressed a handful of times, but he knew well enough where it was headed.

All Reba could think about was Barbara Jean. She was her best friend, how could she do this to her? At least when Barbara Jean had done this to her, the two of them weren't friends. Reba felt betrayed then, but she could only imagine how Barbara Jean would feel now. She was on the verge of a panic attack; she could feel it deep in her chest. She stood quickly from the bed, a blanket wrapped tightly around her body, and she paced, trying desperately to calm herself down.

"Reba – "

"Do you even feel guilty? Of course you don't, you're the one who can't keep it in his pants. I've never done this before. Oh god, I'm no better than you. I am an awful person, Brock!" She rambled on and on as she paced, he could barely understand what she was saying.

"That's it!" He said harshly before jumping out of bed. Brock stood in her path so she was no longer able to pace. He quickly grabbed a hold of her shoulders and looked deep into her eyes, his heart breaking at the sight of the sadness, anger, and fear that fought harshly in her blue pools. "Honey, you have to calm down. C'mon, breathe with me." He began to take deep breaths, placing her hand on his chest so she could feel the air entering his lungs.

Reba's nerves began to calm as she breathed in deeply along with Brock. He was always the only person that could settle her down during attacks such as these. Her panic attacks had become more frequent and intense during her pregnancy with Cheyenne and continued on with Kyra and Jake. Needless to say, it was no wonder Brock knew how to handle her.

"That's good, keep going." He gently put his hands on her hips and pulled her into his lap as he sat on the edge of the bed. He held her close as they breathed together. He hadn't had to talk her down from a panic attack since she was pregnant with Jake and he couldn't help but wonder how many attacks she's had since then that he wasn't around to comfort her for; another vow he had broken. Brock smiled when she laid her head down on his chest; how could he have ever thought she didn't need him? Of course she needed him, she was just too stubborn to let him know that. What a fool he had been.

Once her body was completely calm, she stood from his arms and moved away from him. "Why did we do this?" Her voice was a whisper and he wished he hadn't heard the words that escaped her lips. She moved away from him as if he had the plague and it tore his heart into pieces. He could not let her forget why this happened, he would not allow it, not again.

Brock stood from the bed and walked towards her. He placed his hands on either side of her face and before Reba could protest, he pulled her lips to his, connecting them in a passionate lip-lock. He kissed her with every ounce of love he felt inside of his soul.

Reba's arms immediately turned to mush and rested limp against her sides. She hadn't expected the kiss and was taken aback by it. She wished she had it in her to push him away, tell him she never wanted to see him again, but she knew that would be a lie. Telling herself she no longer wanted him for the last six years was the biggest lie she'd ever told.

Brock pulled away with a pop and she had to take a moment to regain her composure. The kiss left her feeling light to the room.

"That. That's why this happened. I love you, Reba." Her heart soared at the look in his eyes; so honest and so real, he could've said nothing and she still would've known what he was thinking by that look in his eyes.

"I love you, too."

He pulled her into an embrace immediately, placing his hand on her head as she rested against his chest. He wanted to cry, out in joy and out in pain. He had never thought he'd hear those words again, but boy, was he ever glad he did.

* * *

Brock lifted his arm from the warmth of the water, water droplets falling from his fingertips, creating small ripples in the water around them as he lifted the damp red curls that stuck to her back. He knew, better than anyone, that a warm bath always brought relief to Reba in a stressful situation.

Reba closed her eyes and leaned her head back as Brock scooped the warm water into his hands and gently poured it against her scalp as he ran his fingers through her curls. Despite her outburst only minutes ago, she felt calm and happy. It had been so long since she had bathed with another; she remembered the countless occasions her and Brock would lay in a bubble bath after putting the kids to sleep. They'd be exhausted, but the intimacy of sharing a bath with the one you love was always enough to bring them back to life.

"Remember all the nights we spent in bubble baths after putting the kids to bed?" Brock asked as he brought his hands down to rest underneath the warm water once again. Reba laid her head back, resting it against his shoulder.

"I was just thinking about that." She closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth around her. Brock wrapped his arms around her chest and kissed the side of her head, her back resting heavily against his chest. He was glad she had calmed down; he wasn't ready for their weekend to be over so soon and he wasn't entirely sure if he would ever be. They still had three more days left and he'd be damned if they didn't make the most of them.

"We were always so exhausted at that time of day. Those kids were sure hand-fulls back then. Still are. I don't know how we manage." He let out a low chuckle which gently shook Reba's body and she couldn't help but smile at the sound.

"We were always good together, hard to believe it ever went so wrong."

Brock's chest tightened and he could not form words good enough to respond to her. She was right, they were and if he had remembered that back then, maybe nothing would've ever gone wrong. He wished he had the words to say to let her know how truly sorry he was for all of the pain he brought upon their family, he wished she could feel what he was feeling in his heart at that very moment because maybe if she did, everything would be okay.

Once the water had cooled and Reba had begun to shiver, Brock knew that their reminiscent moment had come to an end. He stood from behind her and grabbed a towel from the ugly green cabinet and wrapped it around his waist. He heard the water slosh around Reba as she stood and he quickly grabbed another towel, holding it in front of him.

Reba smiled and walked over to him, allowing him to wrap her body in the fluffy white towel. He took his time, making sure to absorb every droplet of water on her skin. She smiled at the sweetness of his actions and despite the innocence of it all, she felt her entire body jolt as he continued his slow movements.

He ran the towel down her left leg and up her right leg before finally finishing and standing in front of her. They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment as they realized how close their bodies were and their lips, mere centimeters away. Suddenly, their breathing became shallow with the anticipation of what was to come. It didn't matter how hard they fought it, the fire they felt for one another could never be put out.

Reba brought her lips to his and kissed him. She ran her tongue across his lower lip and felt him shiver against her palms that held his arms firmly. She slid her hands across his shoulders and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Brock ran his hands roughly up her thighs and under the towel that was draped across her small frame. He swallowed the moan that had escaped her lips when his hands found her backside. He wasted no time and hoisted her into the air, wrapping her legs around his hips.

Reba could feel every care in the world flying out of the window as his hands worked her body and his lips worked her neck. She felt him backing towards the bed and let out a slight squeal when his body fell to the mattress. He held her firmly by the hips as he scooted them closer to the headboard. His lips quickly found her chest and showered her with kisses. Their towels had fallen away in the heat of the moment and Reba was bare to the room as she sat in his lap, legs draped on either side of him.

Brock moved his lips to her shoulder and placed a gentle kiss, one after the other, until he was below her ear. "You're even more beautiful now than you were then."

Her eyes were closed and his words sent a chill down her spine like a lightning rod. Reba pulled away so she could look into his eyes. She moved her hands to either side of his face and caressed his cheeks with her thumbs. If she spent the rest of her life looking into those eyes, well, she figured it wouldn't be so bad.

Reba kissed him hard on the lips, the love she felt in her chest becoming too much to bare. She lifted herself off of his lap enough so the two could become one once again. A gasp escaped her lips and she held him closely to her chest.

Brock guided her hips carefully, not wanting to lose the tenderness of the moment. He watched as she closed her eyes and loosened her grip around his neck. She rolled her neck and he found himself mesmerised as he watched her long red locks dance in slow motion with her movement. She wasn't even trying, but he was certain she was the most beautiful sight in the world. Brock moved his left hand up her side, watching his fingertips move with the perfect curves of her body. Her skin was soft, softer than he remembered.

Reba could feel the warmth in her belly burning stronger with every soft caress and kiss against her skin. She wanted to cry and scream out in pleasure all at once. The way his fingers moved against her skin, let her know that he wasn't just touching her, he was _feeling_ her. And she could feel the love he felt pouring from those fingertips and it was driving her absolutely mad. They had made love on many occasions, but nothing quite like this.

Brock moved his hands over her breast and watched as her lips parted slightly and her eyes close once again. He moved his fingers to her neck and brushed her curls aside, grinning when he saw yet another shiver pass through her body. His right hand held onto her hip as she moved against him. The tension in his stomach was building and for the first time in six years, he realized he hadn't made love to anyone other than Reba. Sure, he'd slept with Barbara Jean, that much was clear, but they didn't make love. This, right here, was love-making. He could feel it all around him and most importantly, as he looked into the blue eyes that stared back at him, he could see it.

Reba arched her back and held him close to her, his name silently escaping her lips and he knew she didn't even realize she had said it, for the pleasure was clouding her mind.

Brock nestled his nose into the crook of her neck as an explosion took place in his stomach. The two held tightly onto each other as they let the waves of pleasure roll throughout their bodies. Reba had never felt as close to Brock as she did at that very moment. The walls had been stripped away and she could see who he truly was.

A tear slipped down Reba's cheek, why? She had no idea, but she was too late to stop it. Brock, however, quickly rid her face of it as he moved his thumb against her cheek. Reba smiled and moved into his touch. Their eyes remained locked and although no words were spoken, Reba nodded her head.

"I love you, too."

He'd heard those words more in the last two hours than he had in the last six years and he found his heart soaring once again. Brock kissed her lips softly before lifting her from his body and bringing her to a spooning position underneath the warm blankets.

"Maybe we were given this weekend for a reason."

His words echoed through her ears as his strong arms encircled her tiny waist. Reba felt safe for the first time in years and as she began to doze off into the night, the smile never left her lips.


	8. Chapter 8

The Weekend

Chapter Eight

Reba awoke to the rays of the warm sun on her cheeks. Her eyes fluttered open as they adjusted to the brightness of the room and she smiled when she felt those familiar strong arms still holding her close by the waist. His breath was heavy which let her know that he was still in a deep sleep. She felt relaxed and rested, not groggy and headache-ridden like usual. If she had known this was the way to get a good night's sleep, maybe she would've tried sex sooner.

That was a joke of course. It never felt right with anyone but Brock. Sure, the sparks flew and the ground shook when she had kissed Jack, but it was nothing more than that. It was Brock who held her heart, no matter how hard she had tried to tear it from his grasp. It was just not meant to be. They were meant for one another, that much was becoming clear. Unfortunately, it was much more complicated than that.

The words he had said before falling asleep the night before, rang through her ears. _Maybe we were given this weekend for a reason._ Maybe he was right. As she thought about it, it did seem as though some greater force was trying to tell them something. Perhaps instead of feeling guilty, this was her chance to be selfish for once in her life. Maybe they were supposed to forget about their lives, just for the weekend, and be the Brock and Reba they were always supposed to be.

Reba swung her legs to the floor carefully and quietly and sat in a sitting position on the edge of the bed as she searched for any item of clothing within reach. She wasn't one to walk around naked. Of course, Brock's seen it all, but she was older now and everything looked different, especially standing up. She ran a hand over her face at the thought. She spotted a shirt resting on the green carpet, but before she could reach for it, she felt Brock's arms snake around her waist and pull her back underneath the covers.

"Good morning, sexy." He spoke into the crook of her neck as he placed a loving kiss upon her skin. He held her close and the warmth of his body warmed her to the core. It didn't matter how cold it was, he always radiated heat. Something she'd missed over the years, especially at night.

"Good morning."

"Where were you going?" He placed another kiss underneath her ear. He could not remember the last time he woke up feeling this happy and he was holding the reason in his arms.

"I was tryin' to find some clothes, if you must know." She rolled her head to the side, enjoying the feeling of his lips moving against her skin.

"Now, why would you want to do that?" He nibbled on her earlobe before placing another kiss on her neck. Reba knew exactly what he was doing.

"Well, we haven't eaten since lunch yesterday and I'm starving. You hear that?" Her stomach grumbled and Brock smiled against her shoulder.

"You could take a bite out of me?" Reba could feel him grinning against her skin at his comment. She was glad someone found him funny.

"Nope, uh-uh, Brock, don't even think about it. You're not getting' any lovin' out of me until you feed me. We're old now, it takes a toll outta me, y'know?"

He could hear the smile in her voice and turned her around, wanting nothing more than to catch a glimpse of that beautiful sight. The sun had nothing on her. She could light up a room with a flash of her smile.

He quickly rolled on top of her body and kissed her hard on the lips before moving his kiss to her chest. He continued his trail down the remainder of her chest and the soft skin on her stomach. The sheets covered his head and Reba giggled as his hands tickled her sides. He rested his ear against her stomach and listened to the grumbling.

"Fine, let's get my woman fed!" He burst out from underneath the covers and kissed her on the lips before climbing out of bed. Reba laughed at the cuteness of it all and felt her cheeks flush when she realized he had called her _his woman._ She liked the sound of that.

* * *

Reba sat on the bed as she pushed her diamond stud through the hole on her earlobe and fastened it at the back. It felt like she was in another world, another universe. Everything was so perfect and so _right_ ; it almost felt weird to her. Her life had been so chaotic for the last seven years, she wasn't used to this calmness.

Brock exited the bathroom with a worried look on his face. Reba's heart began to sink deep down into her chest as she watched him wring is hands before running his fingers through his blonde hair; a telltale sign that something was obviously wrong. Has Barbara Jean found out? Oh, god, but how could she?

She looked intently at Brock, waiting for him to finally speak, say what has him so worried.

"I don't really know how to say this so I'm just going to go for it, okay?" His voice shook as he spoke and Reba hadn't seen him this worried in a very long time.

"Brock, just spit it out. You're worrying me." Reba felt her nerves rising with the anticipation of what he was going to say.

"Is there any chance at all that you're on the pill?" He stopped fumbling with his fingers and stood there still as he looked at her.

"What?" Reba couldn't form the appropriate words in her head, why was he asking her this? He had a vasectomy years ago, they had nothing to worry about?

"Well, remember… I got my vasectomy reversed last year when Barbara Jean and I were having problems?"

"Vasectomy… reversed…" She whispered the words as she began to comprehend what he was getting at. How stupid could she have been to have forgotten about his reversal. "And you didn't think to wear a condom." She stood from the bed, walking as she spoke to herself." "No, of course you didn't. Why would you think to do that? That's the adult thing to do and everyone knows Brock Hart is incapable of doing the responsible thing!" She yelled the last sentenced as rage overtook her entire body.

"Well, you could've – " He began to reply, but was quickly silenced by Reba's anger.

"I could've what, Brock? Do you honestly think I would've voluntarily had unprotected sex with you if I had remembered that little tidbit about your vasectomy? You should've known! You're the one who got it reversed!" Her hands flew around as she yelled at him. For such a tiny woman, she sure was scary.

"I thought… menopause… I don't know what I thought, Reba. It had been six years since we've made love, I wasn't thinking. All I was thinking about was how much I wanted you. You can't blame this all on me." His head was clouded and he scrambled for words. This couldn't be happening, not again.

"Menopause? How old do you think I am?" She scrunched her nose and yelled. That comment was the icing on the cake.

"Honey, please! Calm down!" Brock walked up to her and tried desperately to wrap his arms around her waist and calm her down, but Reba being Reba, was having none of it.

"Don't you dare touch me. Get your hands off of me! I swear to god, Brock, if you throw this family into more chaos. No, if you break up _another marriage_ because of a baby*… I don't think I could ever forgive you." Her voice shook with her last words and the look in her eyes sent chills down his spine. She was serious and the idea of losing her again, but completely this time, chilled him to the bone.

Before he could say another word, she grabbed her purse and slammed the motel room door. He ran a hand over his face, how could this be happening again?

* * *

Reba walked hastily through the sliding glass doors of the Walgreens just two blocks away. She was so angry she didn't even remember her walk over here; all she wanted to do was get in and out as quickly as possible. It felt as if her heart was in her stomach and her entire chest had been replaced with nerves. Her hands were shaking and she gripped the strap of her purse as tight as she possibly could, hoping for some release from the nervousness she was experiencing.

She rounded a corner and the giant light-up letters that read "Pharmacy" came into view. Her chest tightened once again, but she only walked faster. As much as she did not want to do this, she knew she had to.

Reba stood under the sign that read "pick up" and waited for the young male behind the counter to approach her. Her stomach was doing summersaults and she wanted to be anywhere but here.

"Hi, ma'am, what can we do for yah?"

"Hi, um," Her voice changed to a whisper as she fumbled with her fingers. "I need to pick up a Plan B pill." Is that how you addressed it? She had no idea, she'd never had to do anything like this before and she felt completely and utterly embarrassed and out of her element.

She had expected a look of disappointment or disgust from the man behind the counter, but received nothing of the sort. Instead, he nodded and reached over to the shelf behind him.

"Have you ever used this before?" He held the small box in one hand and a pen in the other.

Reba tried to speak, but no words formed in her throat, so she shook her head in response.

"Okay, so you take the first pill within seventy-two hours after the unprotected sex and then you take the second pill twelve hours later. For the most part, there aren't any side effects. Maybe an upset stomach or some light dizziness, but neither will last long."

"Okay, thank you." Reba was thankful no questions were asked and no judgements were made. The man quickly rung through the purchase and Reba was on her way. She held tightly to her purse as she walked out of the building. This was the last thing she thought she'd have to do today.

Reba stopped at the Circle K on her walk back to the motel and grabbed a bottle of water. She might as well get this over with right now, she thought; the sooner, the better.

After paying and exiting the store, she sat on the bench that faced the street in front of her. She opened her purse and popped the little white pill through the foil wrapper that held it. She placed it on her tongue and took a swig of her water.

She couldn't believe how irresponsible they both had been. Sure, she could try and blame it all on Brock, but she knew in her heart that it wasn't entirely his fault. She had known about the vasectomy reversal and she let that information escape her mind. They had been so caught up in their feelings and their memories, they completely forgot about the consequences.

All of this was becoming too much to bare; between her intense feelings for Brock, the idea of the weekend coming to an end, and on top of it all, the idea of being pregnant at forty-six. She could feel the tears forming at the backs of her eyes and knew she had to get back to their room before she burst.

* * *

Brock stood up immediately as Reba walked into the motel room. She saw the pain and worry etched into his face and felt her heart break as she remembered how she had treated him just an hour before. He had been just as worried as she, but she had let her anger get the best of her, once again.

She dropped her purse to the floor next to her feet and walked over to Brock, wrapping her arms around his middle. As soon as her head hit his chest, the tears came rolling out. She cried because of her nerves, but she also cried because the idea of giving this weekend up made her heart twist in pain.

Brock held her in silence and let her empty everything onto his chest. Reba didn't break down often, so when she did, he knew how heavy a load she was baring. He kicked himself once again for all of the times he was certain she cried because of him and he wasn't there to hold her.

After a few moments of just standing there, Reba finally spoke.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was a whisper, not the strong, assuring voice she normally wore.

"Oh, honey." He pulled back and looked into her eyes, wiping the leftover tears away with his thumbs. " _I'm_ sorry. This all happened because of me."

"It was both of our faults. I guess we haven't grown out of our childish behaviour." She tried to lighten the mood with a joke and felt satisfied when Brock let out a quiet chuckle. "I went to the pharmacy and took a Plan B. It was the most embarrassing thing I've ever had to do, Brock."

"You shouldn't have had to do that, I would've gone for you." She saw the concern in his eyes and knew he was being genuine.

Reba shook her head and moved away from him as she wiped her face, quickly regaining her composure. She never stayed down long and that was one of the many things he loved about her.

"It doesn't matter. It's done."

"Now, what?" He questioned, unsure of what this sort of situation entails.

It was still too soon for Reba to take a pregnancy test and by the time she would be ready, they would be back home and back into their old lives. In the meantime, all she could do was hope and pray. It felt like a selfish thing to do, to pray for this not to happen when people all over the world were praying for this very thing. But she was in no position to have another baby and she had a feeling, God knew that as well.

"Now, we wait."

* * *

 ***This line was given to me by** **LittleMissCheerios** **and I give her full credit for it as it was completely her idea. I would also like to thank her for helping me with this chapter when I found myself stumped. You got my writer juices flowing again and for that, I am appreciative.**


	9. Chapter 9

The Weekend

 **Chapter 9**

The two sat in silence for what felt like hours. Reba's knee jiggled the entire bed as she nervously bounced her foot up and down. Brock knew she was fretting over their current situation in her head, going over every single detail in her mind until she'd explode. He also knew he had to put a stop to it.

He swung his legs off of the bed and sat next to her. She didn't seem to notice his movement, so he reached over and placed his hand on her knee, stopping the annoying movement. Reba moved the fingernail that she had been chewing on from her mouth and placed her hands into her lap, turning her attention to Brock.

"Honey, you have to stop. Worrying won't fix anything." He gently caressed her thigh with his thumb, wanting nothing more than to soothe the woman he loved.

"That's easier said than done, Brock." She brought her finger back to her mouth and began to chew once again. He rolled his eyes and stood from the bed.

"Give me your hands." He held his out and waited for her to obey. "Come on, I don't have all day."

Reba stared at him stubbornly before finally giving in. He immediately pulled her from the bed and walked her towards the door. "What're you doin', Brock? I'm not in the mood to play your stupid games."

"I'm taking you out. We're going to make the most of our time together and forget about this whole situation for the time being." Reba opened her mouth to talk, but Brock lifted his hand to stop her. "I know, _it's easier said than done."_ He did his best imitation of her southern accent which prompted her to narrow her eyes in his direction. "But that doesn't mean we can't _at the very least_ try, okay?"

He bent his knees so his height matched her own and looked into her eyes with a goofy grin on his face, lifting his eyebrows. "Okay?" He said a little more firmly.

"Fine." Reba tore her hands from his grasp and angrily grabbed her jacket from the table next to her. "But I hope you know I'm not going to enjoy this one bit."

"Ah, now that's the positivity I was hoping for." He followed her out of their room and locked the door behind him. He rolled his eyes when he turned around to see she hadn't waited for him.

Reba had no idea how Brock expected to make this situation any better for her. She was scared and she couldn't help but worry. They had been irresponsible and this was their price to pay. Not to mention the guilt she felt for betraying her best friend. Barbara Jean was looking after her family while Reba was looking after _her_ husband. And not in the way Barbara Jean would've wanted either, that's for sure.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt his hand slide into hers, interlacing their fingers together. Her first instinct was to pull away, but he only tightened his grip.

"People might see us, you mo-ron!"

"What people, Reba? We're not in Houston anymore. Nobody knows us here."

She let herself relax a little. He was right, she didn't like it one bit, but he was right. Even thinking those words left a stale taste on her tongue.

Brock smiled when her shoulders relaxed and she held his hand without hesitation. She was so stubborn sometimes, but he was glad to see her setting that aside for the time being.

"So, what's your big plan, huh? Or are we just going to walk around all day?"

"Have a little faith, Red."

She watched him smile to himself out of the corner of her eye and had to contain her own. If Brock was good at one thing, it was taking her out on dates. Sure, he'd lost this talent towards the end of their marriage, but in college he always outdid himself. And her favourite part wasn't the dates themselves, but the excitement he'd try so desperately to contain leading up to them. It was so sweet and she felt her heart warm at the memory.

They walked in silence for a few more minutes, both smiling to themselves as they enjoyed their surroundings. Reba couldn't believe it, but just being with Brock and holding his hand helped relieve her mind of the worry that had been eating away at her for most of the morning. Being with him, feeling this familiar feeling, erased all of the negative thoughts she had conjured up and replaced them with memories of what once was. It felt like they were in college once again.

They entered the park that had reunited them just days before and they both smiled as they passed by the spot they had kissed. Hard to believe it had started there and grown into something more in a matter of hours.

Reba was lost in her thoughts when suddenly, Brock's hand slipped from her own as he bent down to the ground. She furrowed her brows in confusion until he stood up straight with a smirk on his face and a football in his hands.

"Well, what do yah know? A football. I think someone's trying to tell us a rematch is in order, don't you?"

Reba rolled her eyes at his silliness. "I don't think so, Brock. I'm not really in the mood for that." She started to walk, but stopped when she realized he wasn't following her.

"You're just saying that 'cause you're scared you'll lose." He lifted his eyebrow and waited for her response. He knew just where to hit her to get a rise out of her.

"Brock – "

"No, Reba, don't worry about it. I understand, you don't want to go up against golden god, ruler of all things football. We may have won on the same team, but you know you don't stand a chance against me. I get it." He threw the football into the air a few times, grinning to himself as he watched the anger form on her face.

Reba glared at him and finally let a grin sneak across her lips. She knew what he was doing and he was doing it well. His cockiness was making her angry, angry enough to tackle him to the ground. "Fine, you butt." She walked closer to him, pressing her body into his and holding a firm finger to his chest. "But prepare to get your butt whooped into the ground. There are no kids to keep me in-check this time, honey."

She gave him a sickly-sweet grin and as she walked away from him and out onto the field and he felt his heart walk away with her. There was no question as to why he fell in love with her all those years ago. He smiled and jogged to catch up to her, meeting her in the middle of the grassy field.

"Rock, paper, scissors to see who gets the ball first?" He held it between his arm and his side as he reached his other hand out and held it in a fist.

Reba batted her eyelashes and moved closer to him, all the while giving him a sexy smirk. "We could. Or…" She placed a hand on his chest and licked her lips.

Brock felt a spark fly through his body, his breath stopping in his throat as he watched her tongue move in slow motion over the lips he so adored.

"I could just take it from yah." She ripped the ball from his grasp and began running to the other end of the field. She giggled as she did so and it took Brock a few seconds to regain his composure and understand what was happening. He quickly began running after her.

"Hey! That's not fair!"

"All's fair in love and war, sweetheart."

He wrinkled his forehead and angrily glared at the woman running in front of him. He pushed himself to run faster. Luckily for him, he and Reba were equal in the running department, although she would never admit that and nor would he.

Reba giggled uncontrollably as she was almost at the end of the field. The last time she looked over her shoulder, Brock looked like a tiny action figure, on account of him being so far behind her. She couldn't wait to get the first touchdown and rub it in that big ole tanned face of his.

She heard footsteps next to her and turned to see Brock running beside her, an evil grin on his lips. Before she could push herself harder, she felt his hands snake around her waist from behind and lift her from the ground.

"Hey! Turn me loose!" Reba's arms flailed about and she dropped the football at the sudden change in position.

"Gladly!" He kissed the crook of her neck before letting her go and grabbing the football from the grass. "Kiss this, Red." He shouted over his shoulder as he sprinted away from her.

Anger immediately filled her body at the thought of losing. So, she did what she did best: she ran. Van's words echoed through her ears. _Mrs. H, Mrs. H, Mrs. H is the man!_

Brock turned around for a split second and saw Reba running directly at him. He turned forward, his eyes wide with fear, and tried to run as fast as possible when suddenly, he felt her body collide with his and before he knew it, he was lying on his back on the grass, Reba lying on top of him.

"Dammit, Reba, I'm old. My back can't take this." Brock closed his eyes and rested his head back against the ground.

"I tried to warn yah, but you wouldn't listen." Reba had a triumphant grin on her face and just as she was about to grab the football and get up, Brock stopped her.

He reached his hand to the side of her face and slowly pulled her lips to his. She looked so happy and so beautiful in that very moment, he couldn't suppress his urge. Her lips moved with his as fireworks went off around them. Brock was quick to flip her over and pin her to the ground underneath him.

Reba smiled against his lips and moaned when she felt his hand slide up the curve of her body. It felt like it had twenty years ago, which caused pain and excitement to pool in her chest. They had the ability to be just like they were back then, if only they had never split up.

She brought her hands to his chest and pushed him away with a giggle. "You better stop kissin' me like that unless you want someone to call the cops."

Brock let out a chuckle and rested his forehead against hers for a moment, his eyes closed. This was how they were always supposed to be. He moved his lips to her forehead and gave her a gentle kiss. "You win." He stood from her body and took her hand, lifting her to her feet.

"I'm sorry, say that again?"

"You win." He rolled his eyes, but smiled nonetheless.

"One more time?" Reba's smile reached from ear to ear and he was glad he still had the power to do that. She wrapped her arm around his back and rested her head against his shoulder, waiting for him to say those words one last time.

"I said, you win. But don't get used to it."

"Ah, now that's what I thought you said."

He kissed the top of her head and walked with his arm around her shoulder. He could get used to this.

* * *

On the way back from the park, the two stopped into the little bar they had discovered the night before. Reba hadn't realized how much time they had spent goofing around and playing football. Although, she used the term "playing football" loosely as they had spent more time kissing than they did actually playing.

It was almost five o'clock and her stomach wasn't just growling, it was howling.

They sat in a booth next to the bar and immediately ordered their food. All that running took it out of them and much to Brock's surprise, also took Reba's mind off of the problem at hand. They really had no choice but to forget about it. They needed time before they could do anything about it or find out if there even was a problem at all.

After finishing their meal, the two sat in silence and sipped on their beers. People were dancing, laughing, playing pool, and enjoying life all around them and it warmed Reba's heart. All of the bars in Houston were filled with young twentysomethings and it was a nice change to see all of these people around their age having such a great time.

Reba watched as a couple played a game of pool in front of her and got an idea. She turned her eyes towards Brock, blushing when she realized he was already staring at her. She felt the butterflies in her stomach flutter their wings once again.

"What do you say to tryin' to win back your title in a game of pool?" She sipped her beer and raised an eyebrow, waiting for his response. She knew he couldn't resist a challenge, especially when she was the one doing the challenging.

"I say…" He chugged the rest of his beer and slammed the mug down on the table. "You're on, babe." Brock walked towards an empty pool table and grabbed two cues, handing one to her with a sly grin on his face. "Why don't you break?"

He was giving her the upper hand, figuring she was just as bad as she had been in college. Little did he know she had learned a thing or two since then and her game had improved. But that was a tidbit of information he didn't need to know. "Aren't you sweet."

Reba bent over the table strategically and lined her cue up with the ball. She closed one eye and focused in on the balls in front of her.

Brock watched as she took her time and readied her shot. He noticed a few men around them staring at her ass as she bent over the table and felt rage fill him to the core. The only person who was allowed to check her out was him. Quickly, she released the cue and broke the triangle of balls, bringing his attention back to the game. His eyes widened when she sunk four balls at once. She hadn't been this good in college.

Reba stood up straight with a grin on her face and blew at the tip of her cue, as if she were cooling it off. She giggled when she noticed his jaw was practically hitting the floor.

"Jack may not have been the one, but he did teach me a thing or two about the game of pool."

Suddenly, Brock had a picture of Jack standing behind Reba teaching her how to play pool properly in the back of his mind and he felt jealousy replace his rage.

No, he wouldn't let her win. "Loser buys the next round of beers." The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them and he had a funny feeling he'd come to regret them.

"Better get out your wallet then, honey." Reba bent over once again and arranged her next shot. Brock rolled his eyes when all of the men turned their attention back to her. If this is how the night was going to go, he was in for a long one.

* * *

"Best two out of three. I was just warming up!" Brock whined after Reba had won their first game of pool.

"Well, I wouldn't mind kickin' your butt again, but you owe me a beer." She stood close to him and looked into his eyes. Her face began to move closer to his and Brock felt his breath become heavier at the possibility of a kiss. But before their lips could touch, she reached between them and took the cue from his hands. "I'm waitin'." Her breath was warm on his lips and he felt a shiver pass down his spine. She always had a tendency to tease, even back in their married days.

He walked to the bar and ordered two beers. He watched Reba while he rested his arm on the hardwood counter top. She was chalking the tip of her pool cue and he noticed her teeth clamp down on her lip as she concentrated. She wasn't even trying and yet she was so beautiful. How he had been so blind before, he didn't know.

His heart began to beat faster when he saw a young, attractive man walking towards her. Brock saw the look on his face and knew he wasn't approaching her to just say "hi."

"Hi, there."

Reba turned to see a man standing behind her with a smile spread across his lips and dimples covering his cheeks. She smiled and stopped chalking her cue. "Hi."

"I'm Ryan and you are?" He held out his hand.

She took it and shook. "Reba. I'm Reba." Nerves filled her body, it had been so long since she had dated anyone, let alone had a man flirt with her.

"That's funny, I would've guessed you were gorgeous." He gave her a slick grin and she had to suppress her eye roll. Now she remembered why she had stopped dating.

Brock set the two beers down on the pool table and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, causing Ryan to frown and immediately back away. His message came across loud and clear and Reba turned her smile towards Brock, thankful he had walked up at that very moment.

"Thank you. You should've heard the line he gave me."

Brock just nodded and moved away from her. He felt jealousy boiling inside of him and figured it best not to say a word for, with his track record, he would only end up regretting it.

"I'll break this time."

Once again, Reba won and Brock rolled his eyes at her winning dance. Two beers turned her into, well, him and he didn't like her cockiness.

"Cut it out, woman."

"What's the matter? You can dish it out, but yah can't take it?"

"Exactly." He ran a hand through his blonde hair and chuckled.

Reba snorted at his honesty. "I believe this means you owe me another beer."

"I'm just glad we aren't playing for money."

"Next time." She winked and watched him walk back to the bar. He stood next to a blonde who sat with her brunette friend. She watched as the women looked at him and then snickered to each other.

Only a moment passed by before the blonde was talking to Brock, laughing and smiling as she grabbed his bicep and squeezed. Brock smiled and laughed along with the woman. Reba rolled her eyes. He never could pass up a busty blonde, that's how she got a Barbara Jean.

He walked back over to their pool table and handed Reba her beer. Brock noticed her change in attitude and furrowed his brows together. She had been in a perfectly good mood just moments before.

"What's your problem?"

"You're married. You shouldn't be flirting at the bar like a teenager, Brock." She took a swig of her beer and gave him the glare of all glares.

He turned his attention back to the bar as he tried to decipher what she meant. Why did the women in his life always have to speak in code?

His eyes locked on the women he had just been talking to and it suddenly made sense. He grinned to himself. She was jealous.

"Oh, her? She was flirting with me. I can't help it, honey, I'm irresistible."

Reba scoffed at his cockiness. She hated how he always managed to remind her of how vain he really was.

"Right."

"Besides, that didn't stop you." He leaned into her ear and whispered those words, but he immediately regretted it when she pulled away from him and he saw the look in her eyes. He had hit a sore spot when he had only intended to crack a joke.

"Alright, everyone take your seats. It's karaoke time!" They both turned their heads towards the voice and saw a man standing on the stage at the front of the room. He spoke into the microphone that sat at the centre of the stage and smiled as everyone around them took their seats.

Reba pressed her lips tightly together and walked back to their table. How dare he say that? He knew how guilty she had been feeling and to say something like that? It made anger flow freely inside of her. She wanted nothing more than to yell at him, cuss him out, but instead she sipped her beer and listened to the woman butchering a Shania Twain song.

Brock watched her as she muddled over the words he had said. He could practically see the steam leaking from her ears and felt guilt swarm his chest. He didn't want to mess up a good thing, not so soon.

He leaned into her, wanting nothing more than to fix this thing before it got out of hand. "Reba, I'm s – "

"Alright, who wants the next shot?"

Before Brock could finish what he was saying, Reba chugged the rest of her beer and stood from their booth. She raised her hand. "I will."

"The redhead in the back! Get on up here, pretty lady!"

Brock watched as Reba made it up to the small stage and whispered something into the speaker's ear. Her song choice, presumably. The room was silent as she stood on the stage, all eyes on her, as she waited for the music to play.

He felt his entire body stiffen as the bass guitar radiated around him and he realized what song she had chosen. He slid down in his seat and tried to shield himself from the room and, more importantly, from her.

"You walked into the party like you were walking onto a yacht. Your hat strategically dipped below one eye. Your scarf, it was apricot."

He listened and watched as Reba belted out the lines to the familiar song. She sounded great, he had to admit, but he didn't like the implication of her song choice.

"You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you. You're so vain, I bet you think this song is about you, don't you? Don't you? Don't you?"

He could see the anger in her eyes and slid deeper down into his seat. One hand was in the air and the other held onto the microphone as she sang. Her eyes were glued to him and he felt like everyone was watching him. He gulped as the nerves became too much.

Then, Reba slipped the microphone from its stand and stepped down from this stage. Brock's eyes widened when he realized she was walking towards him as she sang. She stopped when she reached their table and sang directly to him, a grin on her lips knowing full well how embarrassed he was at that very moment.

"You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you. You're so vain, _Brock_ , you probably think this song is about you, don't you?"

Reba batted her eyelashes and turned her back, walking back to the stage. The men and women around her cheered and she finished off the last verse. She slipped the microphone back into the stand and raised her arms into the air, basking in the whistles and applauses she was receiving.

She stepped down from the stage and blew kisses as she walked back their table. She grinned at the blush covering Brock's cheeks and plopped back down in her seat.

"What the hell was that, Reba?" He was quickly becoming aware that he didn't like this version of drunk Reba.

"Thought I'd teach you a lesson or two."

"Well," he stood from the table and placed a fifty down on its surface. "When you feel like acting like the Reba I know and love, I'll be in our room." And just like that, he walked out of the bar.

Reba was floored by his response. She was just having some fun. His words had hurt her and she wanted to make that clear to him. What was the big deal?

She quickly stood and followed him back to their room. When she walked in, she saw Brock sitting on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands.

"What the heck, Brock?" She breathed heavily, she had moved too fast.

"I tried to apologize; there was no reason for you to embarrass me like that!" He stood from the bed and pointed his finger in her direction. He was angry and she didn't understand where that anger was coming from.

"I'm sorry! I thought it'd be funny! Honestly, Brock, what is your problem?"

"What is _my_ problem?" He stalked angrily towards her, causing her to back up into the door. "My _problem_ is the fact that I love you. I love you, Reba, but this weekend is going to end. It's going to end and we're going to go home and everything is going to go back to the way it was. Except this time it will be much more painful than it was before because we'll know. We'll know about our wonderful weekend and we'll know about the feelings we both share, but we won't be able to doing anything about it. We'll just have to go back to pretending; pretending not to be in love with each other, pretending to be happy apart. Just as we have for the last seven years, only this time we'll know better."

His words were angry at first, but as he continued to speak, she felt them soften and she realized he wasn't angry at her. He was angry at their situation.

Reba was still pressed between the door and Brock and watched his face as he looked at the ground between them. Her heart broke at the realization that his was, too.

She had tried so hard to forget about their situation, about the awful thing they were doing and the reality they would soon have to return to. She wanted to believe that this was their life, that they were _together._ She felt foolish now for believing this was their reality. She was caught up in it all and she forget about the truth.

They stood there in silence for a long while, their breath the only sound between them. Brock finally lifted his head and looked into her eyes. He hadn't realized how close he had been to her all of this time. His eyes moved from hers to the lips that sat inches below then.

Before she knew it, his lips were pressing harshly against hers in a heated kiss. His hands ran roughly over her body, her small frame slamming back against the door. Reba quickly wrapped her arms around his shoulders, digging her fingers into his hair, tugging gently as he ground his body against hers.

The air in the room was warm and thick, filled with the passion and the love they shared between them. They made love to each other like they never had before, this time with the proper protection. They touched, they felt, they held onto every single detail for the fear of never being with each other like this again was so strong.

What do you do when the person you're meant to be with is the person you are no longer allowed to have?


	10. Chapter 10

The Weekend

Chapter Ten

Reba awoke the next morning with an awful feeling inside of her stomach. Her eyes snapped open and anxiety rose inside of her like a kettle bubbling to the surface.

It was Sunday.

Tomorrow their car would be ready and they would have to head home, putting an end to their weekend together.

The thought of this weekend coming to an end radiated pain throughout her chest. She didn't want to go back to her old life, she couldn't. She couldn't look at him and not think about their wonderful weekend together. She couldn't go back to pretending like what they had no longer exists. She couldn't face that. She'd done it once and it almost ripped her in two, she couldn't do it again.

She closed her eyes tightly together, trying desperately to push this realization away. Brock moved behind her and held her closer to his body. She wanted to bask in this feeling, remember every little detail so she could carry the warmth with her because, for all she knew, this could be the last time she ever felt him pull her closer. They would return home and everything would return to what it once was and the next time Brock pulled someone closer, it wouldn't be her.

 _Cut it out._

Reba pulled herself from his grasp, careful not to wake him, and wrapped the plush, green blanket around her nude body. Everything inside of her wanted to cry, to scream, to let all of it out, but she refused to. She had cried enough this weekend, she couldn't bring herself to do it again.

She walked to the window and gently pulled the curtain back. It was raining. Of course it was raining. As if the day wouldn't be hard enough, it had to rain and set the mood before it even began.

Brock lifted his head from the pillow to see Reba looking out of the window. He smiled when he noticed she was wrapped up in a blanket, but frowned as he watched her head dip and rest down against her chest. Goosebumps covered her exposed skin and he knew immediately what was troubling her. It was Sunday.

He peeled himself from the covers quietly and walked to Reba, wrapping his arms around her waist. He felt her jump at his touch, but she immediately melted into him.

Reba smiled at Brock's sudden touch and for a moment, the pain that was eating away at her chest vanished. His warmth spread throughout her like a wildfire and she was thankful he had woken up when he did. She no longer wanted to be alone with her thoughts.

"Good morning." His voice was a whisper against her ear and she giggled when it tickled her skin.

"Morning."

He wrapped his arms tighter around her middle and nuzzled his nose into the crook of her neck. "Why don't we get back into bed, what do yah say?"

"It's raining."

Reba lifted her blue pools and stared out of the window once again. She watched the droplets of water as they hit the ground and splashed back into the air. They weren't outside, but she could feel the coolness in the air.

"It's our last day together and it's raining."

"Oh, honey." He ran his hands down the length of her arms and crossed them across her chest, holding her as tightly as he could. "Don't think about that."

"I can't, Brock." Silence filled the room for a moment and she took a deep breath, trying desperately to calm herself down for she knew the flood gates were about to open. "What's going to happen when we leave?"

Her voice was quiet and filled with emotion and Brock swore he could feel a piece of his heart fall from his chest.

"Honestly? I… I don't know."

He had a wife and a son to go home to and he didn't know where that would leave him and Reba, but he knew he couldn't lose her. He wouldn't. He quickly turned Reba around and placed his hands on either side of her face, looking deep into her eyes as he spoke.

"But we will figure it out, I promise you. I'm not going to lose you, not again."

Reba closed her eyes and nodded silently. She wanted to believe him, she needed to believe him, but she didn't. How could this possibly work out? He was married and she wasn't. It was as simple as that. But there was no use in telling him that.

"Now how about we get back into bed?"

* * *

The morning seemed to vanish before their eyes as they held each other in silence under the light green sheets of the bed they'd grown so very familiar with. The sound of the rain ricocheting off of the window filled the room and despite everything, warmth surrounded them as if they were trapped in their own little bubble.

The thought of leaving loomed over them, but they managed to push it far enough away that they could enjoy their last few hours together. It's not like they would never see each other again, right? The man was over at her house every single day. They could work this out. Right?

The hours passed by like minutes and the rain outside began to lighten. They were so wrapped up in each other, they didn't realize how fast their time together was passing.

Brock looked down at Reba's head which was resting against his chest. He traced the curls that lied gently against his flesh. They curled and tangled like water flowing down a river; so bright and so beautiful, just like her. She had been quiet this morning, but so had he. He had so much he wanted to say, but he didn't know how to say it. He wanted to let her know that it _would_ be okay, but he didn't have the right words.

He turned to the nightstand and stared at the flashing blue light that reminded him of their limited time together. It was two o'clock in the afternoon, where had the day gone?

"Let's go for a walk." He brushed her red locks out of the way so he was able to see her face. Reba furrowed her brows together and titled her head so she could look into his eyes.

"But it's raining?"

"It's stopped, look." He nodded towards the window. "And we can stop at that little café and grab a bite to eat."

"I'm not hungry."

"C'mon, Reba, don't give me that. I can hear your stomach growling from here. Get up and get dressed." He patted her sides, urging her to follow his lead and stand from the bed.

"Alright, fine. But if we get caught in the rain, so help me god, Brock." She spoke through her gritted teeth and Brock couldn't help but chuckle at her tone. The rain had stopped, he was sure of it.

* * *

"Brock Enroll Hart! What did I say?" Reba tried desperately to pull her jacket above her head and shelter herself from the rain that had violently begun pouring down from the sky. They had just finished a nice, quaint lunch when they decided to walk to the park one last time. As soon as they had gotten there, the clouds turned a harsh gray and the rain began to fall once again. She should've known to listen to her gut instead of Brock. Listening to him never got her anywhere.

"It's not my fault, do I look like a weather man?"

"Didn't stop you from acting like one earlier!"

The two ran in the direction of their motel and at first, Reba was annoyed, but as she ran, her feet splashing in the puddles that had formed on the ground, happiness washed over her and she couldn't help but giggle at their current situation. Because really, it was funny if you thought about it.

She stopped trying to shelter herself from the wet and embraced the rain falling from the sky. Brock immediately turned when her laughter hit his ears and grinned from ear to ear when he saw the happiness that covered her face. She was soaking wet, her hair sticking to her cheeks, her mascara running down from either side of her eyes, and yet she managed to look as beautiful as ever. Happiness escaped her like the sun peaking around a dark cloud. God, his heart felt as if it were about to explode from his chest. How could he ever live without this woman?

Reba grabbed onto his hand and interlaced her fingers with his as they continued to run to their motel room. She wouldn't let the rain interfere with their last day together. Tomorrow would be a different story, but today, all she wanted to do was spend their last few moments trapped in the fantasy that had been their weekend together.

Brock fumbled with the keys as he tried hastily to unlock the door to their motel room, the two falling into the room in a fit of laughter once it was finally unlocked.

"I'm sorry, Reba, I really did think the rain had stopped for the day." Brock walked up to her and moved the red locks that were stuck to her cheeks aside.

"Turns out getting caught in the rain was exactly the thing I needed." Reba smiled and closed her eyes as his thumbs gently wiped away the mascara that had stained underneath her eyes.

Brock looked down between them, the light blue blouse she wore clung to her as the water dripped down her frame and seeped into the carpet. He moved his lips closer to hers and smiled when he noticed her chest begin to rise and fall heavily. Her eyes were closed, but she knew what he was up to. She always did.

Reba's breath caught in her throat when she felt his fingers slowly begin to unbutton her blouse. His lips had yet to touch hers, but she could feel his teasing breaths against her lips. She opened her eyes only to stare into his. He continued on with unbuttoning her blouse, never looking away from her eyes.

Reba could feel the temperature of the room rising, despite the coolness of the water that soaked the two of them.

Brock slid the blouse from her shoulders and smiled when a shiver crossed her skin. He moved forward and Reba closed her eyes, expecting him to kiss her, but instead his lips landed on the corner of her mouth. Then across her cheek, to her jaw, and continued down the flesh on her neck. Her eyes rolled back into her skull and a moan escaped her lips. They had hardly even started and she already wanted to rip his clothes from his body.

She moved her fingers to the hem of his shirt and peeled it from his chest. It landed on the floor with a thud and they both giggled when they felt the water ricochet from its fabric. Reba attacked his lips once again and the two removed the remaining clothing from their bodies as they backed up towards the bed.

Brock kissed every ounce of exposed skin, committing to memory the constellations of freckles that covered her body.

"Make love to me." Reba pleaded as Brock's frame covered her smaller one on the bed they had shared for the last three days.

All thoughts of leaving vanished from their minds as they became one. They weren't thinking of the future, they were only thinking about now. They held on to every little detail, every little sound, every little feeling, just like they had all weekend. They had spent so much time apart that all they wanted to do was remember because what if these were the only memories they would have left to last them a lifetime?

Their bodies let go together and I love you's filled the room.

It should feel wrong, it should feel bad. They had, after all, committed adultery, but the only thing that was causing either of them pain was the thought of not being together. And in the aftermath of what they had just done and the love they had just shared, that was the only thought that filled the air.

* * *

 **Just so everyone is prepared, I will be finishing up this story in the next few chapters!**


	11. Chapter 11

The Weekend

Chapter Eleven

Reba awoke the next morning with a pain in her heart and a pounding in her head. It was finally the day she had been dreading and there was not a thing in the world she could do to avoid it. The weekend felt like it had lasted forever, but it also felt as if it had passed by in an instance. They had come here as friends and were leaving as lovers, the very last thing she had expected to happen.

She could feel everything inside of her retreating back into the depths of her being. Everything she had laid bare to Brock this weekend, gone. Just like that. She didn't want to feel the pain she knew would follow this weekend and the best way to avoid that was to bury it deep down inside of her, just as she had always done. The day would hurt less if she distanced herself from him, from everything. Because if she let herself feel it all, she wasn't sure if she'd survive this time. She'd felt enough pain over this man to last her a lifetime.

She pulled herself from the bed and grabbed her bag that sat next to it. If she didn't ready herself now, she wasn't sure she ever would. She made her way into the washroom and shut the door with a click behind her. She couldn't let her feelings get in the way of her strength, for without her strength she knew she might lose herself entirely.

Brock squirmed in his bed as the click of the bathroom door echoed throughout his ears. He rolled over and felt nothing but coldness where Reba's body should have been. His eyes snapped open and he looked around the room, his redhead nowhere in sight. He could immediately feel the change in the air. She was pushing away, sheltering herself once again from the world around her, from _him._

He could imagine what she was feeling, he was feeling it, too, but he knew whatever he thought she was feeling, was ten times more painful than he could imagine. She had been here before, she had done this six years ago and it felt as though it was happening again. He was going home to his house and she was going home to hers. They'd be just five minutes away from each other, but they wouldn't be together. They couldn't be together.

Maybe that's why it was so much more painful this time around. They actually wanted to be with one another and they couldn't. There were so many obstacles standing in their way. What do you do when the woman you're in love with isn't the one you're married to?

Reba exited the washroom with her eyes glued to the floor. She was clearly in her own little world, hoping to leave her reality behind. She wore a cream colour sweater and a pair of jeans. She had her red curls pulled back into a ponytail and wore more makeup than usual, probably to hide the redness that filled her eyes.

Brock watched from the bed as she set her bag down onto the table next to the door. She hadn't noticed that he was awake. He stood from the bed and pulled on his boxers that sat in a heap on the floor. He made his way across the room and placed his hands gently on her shoulders from behind as she zipped up her suitcase.

Reba's whole body tensed under his touch. She didn't want to feel his touch against her skin or his warmth behind her body. It only made it all hurt more, like shards of glass shattering inside of her. She stopped breathing for a moment and shrugged his hands from her shoulders.

Brock felt his heart sink into his stomach. He tried desperately to form words, to find something to say to bring her back into their world, but instead he found nothing. He waited for her to turn around, to explain what she was feeling to him, but she didn't. She just continued to fumble with the suitcase that sat underneath her palms.

Reba pressed her eyes tightly together as she bit her lip. Everything inside of her threatened to crumble and she knew if she looked at him, her walls would fall away once again. So, she waited for him to leave, her heart breaking as she did so. She could feel the pain she had caused him in the blink of an eye as he slowly backed away from her. If only he knew how her heart was breaking at that very moment.

The bathroom door clicked shut once again and she opened her eyes and began to breathe. She blinked away the tears that had begun to fall and brought her hand to her chest, trying desperately to ground herself against the pain that filled her ribcage. She wanted so badly to turn and embrace him, but she did what she needed to do. This was no longer their reality and they couldn't bring it home with them. It would hurt everyone around them.

Reba had just finished making the bed when Brock finally exited the bathroom. She couldn't bring herself to look at him, so she focused her attention on straightening the blanket in front of her. He walked up behind her and waited for her to turn to him, but she didn't.

"I'll walk over and get the car. If you could walk to the front desk and check out, that'd be great."

Reba could hear every single emotion he was feeling in his voice, but she didn't say a word for she knew her voice would give her away. He left the room before she could even nod.

After Brock was gone, Reba pulled her hands away from the bed and stood up straight. She looked around the room and smiled through the sadness. The carpet was a god awful green and the floral wallpaper matched it, but she found herself feeling fondly towards it all. She walked to her purse and slid her phone out from the pocket that sat inside of it. She held it into the air and quickly captured the room in front of her.

She needed to distance herself now, but she knew that one day she'd want to look back on their weekend together and all of the love they had rediscovered.

Reba looked around once more before finally grabbing their bags and walking out of the motel door for the very last time. She locked it behind her and set their bags on the sidewalk in front of it. She stared at the forest green door and exhaled. Room seventeen; a number she never would forget. She ran her fingertips over the metal numbers and smiled to herself, pain and happiness fighting against each other inside of her.

"Bye." She mumbled to herself with a smile before turning and heading across the parking lot towards the office.

The door chimed as she stepped through it, bringing back the memory of the first time they both stepped through it. The plump, grey-haired woman sat behind the desk and smiled when she saw Reba.

"Hello there, honey."

"Hi." Reba smiled as best as she could and rested her elbows on the counter in front of her. "We're off, just wanted to check out please."

"Certainly! Your key?" The woman said as she scribbled on a piece of paper in front of her.

"Right!" Reba stepped back from the counter and rifled through her pocket until she found the small piece of metal. "Here." She set it down with a thud against the counter and gave the woman her best smile.

The woman smiled and slide the key across the counter and into her palm. "And how was your stay?"

The question took Reba off guard and for a moment, she was silent and a smile spread across her lips. "Perfect."

Because it had been, despite it all and if she could go back and change their time together, she wouldn't.

"Good. I'm glad to hear that."

Reba looked around the room as the woman finished up the check-out process. Their room may have been an eyesore, but this office made up for it. The cherry floors, the burgundy walls, the wood-carved signs that covered them, and the smell, like pine and cookies. She would remember that smell for the rest of her life. It was warm and rustic and it was perfect. Her eyes stopped on the business cards to her right and she quickly picked one up and thumbed it, smiling absentmindedly.

The woman in front of her watched her out of the corner of her eye and had to suppress a smile.

A cough filled the room and Reba was brought out of her trance.

"Here is your receipt, miss. I hope to see you again sometime." The woman smiled and Reba returned the gesture as she took the piece of paper from her hand.

"Me, too. Who knows, maybe it'll become a tradition." Her smile reached her eyes for the first time in a while. She turned and walked towards the door. Just as she was about to turn the doorknob, she heard that soft voice once again.

"And tell your husband I said goodbye, too!"

Reba's smile fell from her face for a moment and she took a deep breath before turning.

"I will, take care."

The woman watched as the redhead left the room and headed across the parking lot. She had watched those two a lot over the weekend from this very spot and what she saw warmed her to the core. Something had happened between them, that much was clear. Exactly what? She didn't know, but she had an idea.

Her motel had a habit of doing that to people.

She picked up the phone beside her and dialed a familiar number.

"Hello? Yes. I just wanted to let you know they're leaving now. Okay. You're welcome. Talk to you soon. Bye."

She held a hand over her heart and smiled to the ceiling. Her job was done.


	12. Chapter 12

The Weekend

Chapter Twelve

Silence filled the air between them except for the dull hum of the music dancing from the radio. Reba looked out of the window as she watched the trees and the fields pass by. Despite everything, it was sunny that day and she was thankful. She needed the sun to coax her out of the hole in her mind she so desperately wanted to curl up in. But she couldn't do that, not to herself and not to her family. She had done that once before and all it got her was a prescription and a secret.

They hadn't talked, hadn't even so much as looked at each other since they got into the car at the auto shop. However, as Reba looked at the road in front of her, she watched Brock out of the corner of her eye. His eyes were focused in front of him and he gripped the steering wheel tightly. She could tell he, too, was deep in thought.

They were in foreign territory, both having never been in this situation before. Mind you, Brock had been closer to it than Reba had, but that was the past and there was no use in thinking about that at a time like this. They love each other which is the detail that isolates this situation from the other. And aren't you supposed to be with the one you love? Not go home to an empty house, while your lover goes home to his _wife._

 _The wife who is also your best friend, you mo-ron._

Reba rolled her eyes at herself. She still couldn't believe she had gotten herself into this situation. She always believed she was a good person, but now? She wasn't so sure. She leaned her head against the window that covered the passenger door and closed her eyes.

"Are we ever going to talk about this?" Brock finally asked, glancing at Reba for a split second before turning back to the road.

"There's nothing to talk about." She held her eyes closed with more force, wanting the situation to be as quick and painless as possible.

"Reba, I love you. That is something worth talking about!" He smacked his hands against his steering wheel. She was so frustrating sometimes, why did she have to do this? Why did she have to push everything important away so she didn't have to deal with it? Why was everyone else's happiness more important than her own?

Reba opened her eyes and turned further into the passenger door. She bit her lip as hard as she could. She didn't want to hear his words, but there they were, echoing around her.

"This isn't just going to go away, you know? It's always going to be a part of us. We've been divorced for six years, if we were ever going to fall out of love it would've happened by now." Brock reached over and placed his hand on her thigh.

Reba's whole body tensed under his touch and she closed her eyes harshly, trying desperately to will the tears away. She was so close to losing it all.

Brock watched Reba from the corner of his eye, concern immediately washing over him. She looked like she was physically in pain and there was not a damn thing he could do at that moment to help her.

"Honey?"

And there it was, that word, the brick that would cause the whole pile to collapse. She felt a tear escape from between her eyelids, tracing its way down the curvature of her cheek. She moved her hand to his hand that sat on her leg and gripped it as tightly as she could. She moved her other hand to her mouth, covering her lips with her fingers as she held onto her chin. She couldn't speak, she had no words to make this okay. She just gripped onto his hand for dear life, hoping it would somehow relieve the pain that filled her chest. So, they just sat there in silence, holding onto the last little sliver of their weekend together.

* * *

Brock waited for Reba in the car outside of a gas station along the interstate. They were almost home and back to the reality they had left behind. He didn't know what would happen next, but he damn sure wasn't going to give up. Not again. He was different this time, he was better and whether Reba wanted to believe that or not, it was the truth.

The passenger door opened and Brock was brought out of his thoughts as he watched her climb back into her seat. She smiled at him, but her smile didn't reach her eyes like it normally did.

"Shall we be on our way then?" What he wanted to hear was _no, let's turn the car around and drive, anywhere, just drive._ However, that was a foolish fantasy and she nodded as she adjusted the volume on the radio.

Silence fell between them once again and awkwardness surrounded them. Was this how it would be for the rest of their lives? Reba had to wonder.

"I'm not pregnant." She finally said causing Brock to crank his head in her direction. He looked to her, back to the road and to her again.

"Uh. That's….. good? But, uh, how?" That was the last thing he thought she'd say right then and there and it took him off guard. Had she taken a test while at the gas station?

Reba rolled her eyes. He was old enough to know how this worked by now. "My monthly."

"Oh. Right. Okay."

"Yeah, so you have nothin' to worry about, nothin' tying you to this weekend. We can act like it never happened." She picked at her jeans with her nails as she spoke. Relief washed over her immediately when she knew she couldn't be pregnant, however she felt an emptiness inside of her and she wasn't sure why.

"God damnit, Reba, would you stop acting like this weekend wasn't as meaningful to me as it was to you? I'm not some heartless guy. This is the _most_ important thing in my life right now!" His voice was harsher than he had meant for it to be, but perhaps that would help to get his point across. He knew he had treated her awful in the past, but that was the past. How could she not feel how much he loved her? How much he had always loved her? It was the one thing that remained constant in their relationship.

Reba sat there in silence for a long while before finally exhaling the breath she had been holding in. His words held so much truth and she felt guilt rise up inside of her. She didn't mean to act this way, but it was the only way she knew how to protect herself.

"I'm sorry, Brock."

Her voice was quiet and it cracked as she spoke. Brock's grip on the steering wheel lightened and she watched as the corner of his mouth turned upwards in a slight smile before vanishing just as quickly as it had come. He removed his right hand from the steering wheel and held it open beside her, waiting for her to interlace her fingers with his.

Reba looked between them and hesitated before locking her fingers with his. She felt the effect of his touch almost immediately, the warmth slowly making its journey up the length of her arm. She felt weak and she hated to feel that way, but it was almost as if, after their weekend together, he was woven into her heart. And the thought of losing him again scared her more than she wanted to admit.

Before she knew it, Brock was turning onto their street and she felt the nerves climbing up inside of her. Her heart began to beat fast and her throat clenched together. Here it was, the very moment she had been dreading for what seemed like forever.

Brock let go of her hand as he turned into her driveway. Rhonda wasn't in the driveway which meant the kids and Barbara Jean hadn't arrived home yet, a fact of which he was thankful for. He put the car in park and turned to Reba with a soft smile on his lips.

"We're home." He chuckled awkwardly and wiped his sweaty palms against his jeans.

"Yes, we are."

They sat there silently for a moment, before Reba finally made the first move.

"Might as well get this over with." She gripped the handle on the door tightly and hesitated before finally pushing the door open. Her boots clicked against the concrete and she searched her purse for her keys.

She jumped when the trunk slammed shut and Brock walked up behind her with her luggage as she slid the key into the lock. His hand rested on the small of her back as she fiddled with the key, that familiar fire burning once again. She finally got the front door open and they both stood there taking in the silence that was a rarity in her home.

Brock walked in front of her and set her luggage at the bottom of the stairs.

"What now?"

"I don't know." He ran a hand through his disheveled blonde hair. God, this was weird. It didn't feel right to leave her, it felt as though they were meant to stay here, together. "I guess I'll head home."

Reba nodded and looked down at her feet as she rocked back and forth on her heals. This was such a strange feeling and before she could stop herself, she reached her hand out in front of her to shake his. However, she quickly realized how silly that was.

Brock smiled and laughed softly to himself as he stepped closer to her. "Reba, honey, I think we're past the hand shaking."

She dropped her hand to her side and felt her cheeks flush. "Right."

Brock placed his hands on either side of her face and caressed the soft skin on her cheeks with his thumb. Reba closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his flesh against her own.

Her entire body inhaled when his lips connected with hers. He held her face gently as they kissed each other. Reba moved her hands to his face and deepened their kiss. They held onto each other for dear life as they shared one last kiss. It felt as though her entire body was set aflame as their lips moved together, but as quickly as it had started, it ended and they rested their foreheads together as they both attempted to catch their breath. He ran his thumb over her pink lips and smiled.

"If I can't have you tonight, at least I had the weekend. Isn't that how the song goes?"

Reba smiled, she had forgotten all about that song. She nodded and kissed his lips one last time.

"You better get going, they'll be here soon I imagine."

"You're right." He licked his lips and pulled her into an embrace, kissing the top of her head. "I'll figure this out, I promise you. I'll come by tomorrow."

All Reba could do was nod against his chest for all of her words were lost.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Brock hesitated for a moment. He didn't want to leave, but he had to.

"Okay."

And just like that, he was gone. And although he lived just down the street, it felt as if he was much farther away. She leaned against the door, her eyes closed for a moment before grabbing her suitcase and walking up her staircase. She wasn't looking forward to the night to come.


	13. Chapter 13

The Weekend

Chapter Thirteen

Reba placed her suitcase on her navy blue comforter and slid the zipper across its track. She had an emptiness inside of her that she could not shake and she didn't like it one bit. For once in her life she had no control over the situation and it scared her. Her future was in the hands of someone else, but what if that someone changed their mind?

She gently shook her head and flipped the top of her suitcase open. She tossed her dirty clothes into the hamper next to her closet and grabbed her bag of toiletries, walking into the adjoining bathroom and setting it on the counter top. She hated unpacking, but she figured it best to get it over with right away. Otherwise, she knew it would sit on the chair in the corner until she forced herself to do it.

It was a funny thing. She had been alone in this room for the last six years, but it suddenly felt so much emptier than it did before. She walked out of the bathroom and ran her hand along the oak nightstand that sat next to her bed. She could almost see all of Brock's belongings that had once littered its surface. She ran her hand along the navy blue comforter that had once covered not only her body, but his as well. They had made so much love in this bed, it was hard to believe that everything had gone so wrong.

Reba stopped in front of her suitcase and something immediately caught her attention. She moved a pair of her blue jeans out of the way and revealed to her the shirt that rested underneath them. It wasn't hers that she was sure of.

She lifted it from the bottom of her bag and held it in front of her, a smile immediately taking over her lips. It was Brock's. It was the shirt he had worn the first day of their trip, the one she had slept in the last few nights.

She lifted it to her nose and inhaled deeply. It still smelled of his cologne and even now, she could feel her knees weakening. It wasn't in the bag this morning when she had finished packing, which only meant that he had snuck it in at some point before they left. She felt a warmth inside of her take over the cavity in her chest and she closed her eyes as she held the shirt next to her heart. He was trying to make this easier for her and she was thankful for that.

Reba quickly peeled her top off and replaced it with Brock's tee shirt. She unzipped her jeans and pushed them from her legs before stepping into a pair of pajama bottoms. She grabbed her empty suitcase and placed it in her closet. She picked up the robe that sat atop her bed and wrapped it around her small frame. She needed a glass of wine and a good book to distract her from the thoughts she knew would soon come. Their trip was officially over and there was no use in dwelling on that very fact. The kids would be home soon and she needed to put on a brave face.

As soon as Reba sat down on the couch with a glass of wine, Cheyenne, Van, Jake, and Kyra burst through the front door right on cue. She groaned and rolled her eyes, if the wine wouldn't take her mind off of it, at least their bickering would.

Kyra and Van argued about something as Van set their luggage next to the stairs, Cheyenne was whining about god knows what, and Jake bolted up the stairs before Reba even had a chance to say hi. A typical teenage boy, but she smiled nonetheless.

Reba cleared her throat and the kids stopped their bickering long enough to notice her presence.

"Mom! We missed you!" Cheyenne exclaimed as she immediately walked to the redhead and pulled her into a hug.

"Yeah, Mrs. H, you should've been there. They had Seadoos and everything. It. Was. Awesome." Van's eyes lit up as he spoke and Reba giggled as she pulled away from Cheyenne.

"Yeah, you should've seen Barbara Jean water ski, it was hilarious. You would've loved it."

"Dang it, it's always been my dream to see her being tossed around behind a boat." Reba nudged her daughter with her elbow and smirked. Cheyenne only rolled her eyes, knowing full well her mother loved Barbara Jean with every bit of her heart. "Where's Elizabeth?"

"She's in the car, we gotta get going. She's tired, Van's getting' cranky, and this baby has a craving for some pickles." She said as she rubbed her belly and smiled. Reba nodded and patted her arm, trying desperately to hide her frown. She hadn't seen them in what felt like forever.

"Alright, sweetheart, see you soon." She kissed Cheyenne's cheek and turned to Van, who was shaking his head after drifting off for split second. She leaned in so only Cheyenne could hear the words she was about to speak. "And maybe you should drive home."

"Don't worry, Ma." She winked and walked towards the door, pushing Van through its frame. "I'll stop by tomorrow so you can tell me all about your unpleasant weekend with dad."

"Bye, Mrs. H!" Van yelled out of sight.

Reba's chest went tight at the notion of telling Cheyenne about her weekend with Brock. She had never been a good liar, so she would certainly have to prepare beforehand. She sat back down on the couch in a huff and Kyra walked over and sat next to her.

"Hey, sweetie." She put an arm around the younger redhead's shoulders and side hugged her. "Do I even bother asking you how your weekend was?"

"My room was right next to Van and Cheyenne's and let me just say, the walls weren't as sound proof as they thought they were." Kyra made a disgusted face and Reba shuddered at the thought.

"Oh, you poor thing." She rubbed her shoulder gently and had to sustain the giggle she so desperately wanted to let out.

"How was your weekened?"

 _Craaaaaaaap._ She hadn't prepared for that question yet. _Be cool,_ she chided herself in her head, _be cool._

"I – uh, I was trapped in a hotel with your father for four days, how do you think it was?" She said sarcastically, hoping her voice didn't give her true emotions away.

Kyra pulled her head back stunned and looked her mother in the eyes. "You guys had to share the same room? Ha!" She snorted. She couldn't imagine her parents sharing a room for four days. They could barely be together in a room for an hour without the zingers flying left and right.

"Yep. It's about as pleasant as it sounds." A flash of skin swept through her mind and for a split second she could feel his hands against her body. Reba choked on the air she inhaled and began to cough. What the heck was that?

Kyra pulled away and began to rub her mother's back. "Mom, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, honey, I just swallowed the wrong way is all. Is it hot in here?" She said once she caught her breathe, untying her rob and slipping it off of her shoulders.

Kyra just narrowed her eyes at her mother and shook her head. Menopause, man. Not a pretty sight, she thought to herself.

"Wait, isn't that dad's shirt?"

Reba stopped her movement and froze completely. Oh, dear god, what was she supposed to say? _Yeah, your father left it in my suitcase as a reminder of the weekend we spent making love together despite his WIFE._

"I don't think so." She mumbled to herself as she weighed her options.

"Huh?" Kyra asked, completely confused. Reba's eyes went wide, had she said that aloud?

"I said, no, it's not his shirt. I've always had this." She looked downwards at the item of clothing and tried to talk as casually as possible, but her voice went an octave higher than she was used to. _Get a hold of yourself, you mo-ron!_

"Really? I could've swore he wore that –"

"Kyra. Honey, I can assure you this is my shirt." She chuckled nervously to herself before standing from the couch. "Now if you'll excuse me, I am exhausted."

"Okay, if you say so…" She looked at her mother suspiciously as she back away towards the stairs. What had gotten into the woman?

Reba smiled sheepishly before quickly jogging up the stairs and to her bedroom. Once in the safety of her room, she leaned against the door and exhaled, pulling her shirt out from her chest. That was way too close.


	14. Chapter 14

The Weekend

Chapter Fourteen

Brock sat on his couch with a beer in his hand and the game on the television. He tried to focus on the scene playing out in front of him, but all he could think about was Reba, what she was doing now and what she was thinking about. He tried so desperately to think about literally anything else, but somehow everything was connected to her. God, it was taking all of his self-control not to pick up the phone and call her right now. Better yet, walk over there and press her up against the wall and show her just how much he loves her.

Because lord, did he ever love that woman. And if he was a smart man, he never would've forgotten that six years ago when he was trapped in the operating room with his goofball of a wife.

He took a sip of his beer and ran his hand through his hair. What was he to do now?

"Daddy!" Henry shouted as he ran through the front door of their home and straight into Brock's lap.

"Careful there, buddy, we gotta protect that area." He said breathlessly as he recovered from a knee to the groin.

"Van taught me to swim!" Henry said into Brock's neck and he felt a pain in his heart at the idea of missing that moment.

"I wish I could've seen that, buddy."

"Me, too."

"Hey!" Barbara Jean said as she walked through the front door with her luggage in hand, setting it down and closing the door behind her. Brock immediately felt the guilt creep up inside of him, if only she knew.

"Why don't you take your bag upstairs and get ready for bed, me and your mom have some catching up to do."

Henry nodded and quickly climbed the stairs.

"Hey, how was your weekend?" He stood and set his beer down on the coffee table. He didn't know what to do with himself at that very moment, it all felt completely awkward.

"It was good, we had fun. My entire backside is bruised from water skiing, though." She said with a flinch as she rubbed her behind.

Brock chuckled and looked to his feet as he rocked back and forth on his heels. She shook her head and rid her mind of the flashbacks she was having from the water skiing, she was sure she'd be scarred for life. She finally smiled and walked towards Brock, pecking him on the cheek.

It took everything inside of him not to push her away.

"What about you? How was your weekend?" Barbara Jean turned to the table next to the stairs and placed her keys in the dish that sat atop it, trying desperately to contain the smirk that was itching to spread across her lips.

"It was alright, I guess. Nothing special." He pushed his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans. For once in his life, the lies weren't coming easily.

"I find that hard to believe." She mumbled underneath her breath and turned towards him.

"What was that?"

"I said, that's too bad. I bet it was nice having your friendship back for a little while, though?"

Before Brock could stop himself, a smile spread across his lips as he thought about all the wonderful moments he and Reba had shared over the weekend. It was the best time of his life. He looked up and met Barbara Jean's eyes, quickly remembering where he was and who was watching him closely. He quickly coughed and stopped smiling. "Yeah, it was kind of like old times."

"I bet." Silence filled the air between them and it felt as if the awkwardness could be cut into two with a butter knife, or at least that's what it felt like to Brock. Barbara Jean just stood there with a goofy grin on her face.

"Before I forget, I need you to sign Henry's permission slip." She reached to the ground and pulled out an envelope from Henry's backpack.

"Barbara Jean, you're his mom. Why don't you just sign it?" He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. She usually just signed his permission slips herself.

"I know that, silly, but they want both parents to sign this time. It's an overnight trip." She smacked the papers down on the table and handed Brock a pen.

"Oh, okay. Where to?" He squinted his eyes, trying desperately to read the writing in front of him with no such luck. His glasses were in the bottom of his suitcase and there was no point in digging them out.

"Some science camp. Sign here and here." She pointed and he obeyed. Once he had signed on the last line, Barbara Jean quickly took the papers out from under his hand and slid them back into the envelope.

"Sounds like a good time."

"Yeah, he's pretty excited."

"I bet."

Silence, once again.

"I'm gonna go tuck Henry in and then get ready for bed, I'm pooped. I'll see yah up there?"

"I shouldn't be too much longer."

She kissed his cheek before climbing the stairs. Her demeanor had changed in the blink of an eye, she almost seemed nervous? He shook his head. What did he know, anyway? Usually he was wrong about that kind of thing.

Barbara Jean quietly closed the door behind her after entering their bedroom and held the large envelope to her chest. She breathed in deeply and exhaled, making her way towards her bedside table. She carefully slipped the envelope into the drawer and sat on the edge of the bed.

Soon, everything would be right with the world.

* * *

Reba had tried so hard to fall asleep, however her run in with Kyra earlier that evening had her on edge and sleep was not coming easily. God, how she wished Brock was there to hold her and rub her back. She always did sleep like a baby with his arms wrapped around her.

Her bare feet padded against the cold tile of the kitchen as she made a beeline to the kettle. The one thing she could always count on for a good night's sleep was chamomile tea. She flicked the kettle on with a click and rested her palms against the counter top as she leaned over its surface.

Kyra would put two and two together eventually, if she hadn't already. That girl was too smart for her own good and Reba had to figure out how she was going to handle that. The last thing their family needed was another affair to throw them up into chaos once again.

Or who knows, maybe they could make it a tradition every six years! She rolled her eyes at herself, she felt completely and utterly idiotic. She shouldn't even be in this situation in the first place.

Suddenly, a soft knock on the kitchen door jolted her from her thoughts. Who could it be at this hour? Oh, dear god. It was Barbara Jean. She found out and now she was here to murder her. Reba quickly grabbed a spatula from its holder and slowly made her way to the door, spatula in the air and ready to smack down at any second.

She gently pushed the light fabric aside to see who was standing behind the glass and she felt her whole body loosen when she realized who was disturbing her at this time of night.

"Brock, what in the heck are you doin' here? I thought you were Barbara Jean, you mo-ron." She opened the door and let him into her kitchen, setting the weapon on the counter.

"I'm sorry, I just… needed to see you." He rushed up to her and wrapped an arm around her waist and dug his other hand into her curly, red locks. He held her head in the crook of his neck and her body as close to his as humanly possible. Reba just stood there, taken aback, before wrapping her arms around his middle.

They just stood in the dim light of the kitchen and held onto each other. They had been apart only for a few hours, yet he knew what it felt like to live without her. He'd done it before and that thought, that _memory_ pumped fear into his core.

Reba slid her hand up the length of his chest and pushed him back a step, looking deeply into his eyes with a smile playing on her lips.

"Thanks for the shirt."

He looked between them and grinned, placing his hand on her hips and holding her in place in front of him. She was a vision even in his old tee shirt and a pair of raggedy plaid pajama bottoms.

"It looks better on you anyway." He looked into her bright blue eyes for a moment before invading her space once again and grazing her forehead with his lips.

He barely even touched her, yet she felt a fire ignite inside of her belly. She placed both of her palms against his chest and closed her eyes as his lips gently brushed against her cheek. Her breathing had become laboured and she nearly stopped breathing when his lips touched the corner of her mouth.

"I can't sleep." She whispered and he pulled back, but his nose remained next to hers and he listened to her ragged breathing. He moved his lips to hers and gently captured them in a sweet kiss before pulling away. He smiled as he watched her, waiting for her eyes to flutter open once her head stopped spinning. A feeling he knew all too well.

"Let me stay with you for a little while, until you fall asleep."

The idea of falling asleep in Brock's arms sent a chill down her spine. It was dangerous, that she knew, but she wanted nothing more than to feel his warmth next to her.

"Please." He added wanting to spend as much time with the woman in front of him as possible.

Reba only smiled and took his hand, leading him through the kitchen and to the stairs, all thoughts of tea forgotten. She had the only thing she needed right by her side, if only for a moment.


	15. Chapter 15

The Weekend

Chapter Fifteen

Reba woke up to the sun beaming down against the delicate skin on her face, the warmth quickly filling all of the empty places inside of her. The last thing she remembered from the night before was being wrapped up in Brock's strong arms and even now, she felt her heart skip a beat at the memory. She rolled over expecting him to still be next to her, but when her hand hit nothing but a cool sheet, her smile quickly faded.

Right.

He had gone home to his wife and the bed the two shared together. Her chest tightened at the thought and she opened her eyes, staring directly at the ceiling. Why did she have to do this to herself? She knew he wouldn't be there in the morning, why did she allow herself to believe that he would be?

She sighed and stood, pulling herself from the warmth of her bed. She needed to get a jump on the day before her thoughts began to consume her once again. She shouldn't have taken the extra day off. Now more than ever she needed work to invade her mind and block out the rest of the world. But of course, that was not an option today. Instead she would spend the day cleaning her already clean home.

She pulled her red locks back into a ponytail and slipped on an old pair of blue jeans and a baggy tee shirt that read _Nashville_ on the front of it. There was no point in showering when she'd just get all sweaty from the unnecessary housework she was about to commence.

Reba hadn't even eaten breakfast yet as she pulled a sponge out from under the sink and dipped it into the bucket of warm suds that sat on the floor next to her. She pushed the sponge harshly into the tile of the kitchen floor, the invisible suds suddenly gushing out of its sides, and moved it across the surface slowly. Of course, using a plain old mop would have been the logical way to do this, but it wouldn't have distracted her long enough and given her a reason to hide. Besides, this way she got to live out her Cinderella fantasy. Except Cinderella was a good person and she was not. She was just a trampy, old housewife.

Reba snorted at her last thought. _Ex_ -housewife.

No wonder Cinderella got the guy.

"Mom…" Cheyenne started as she walked into the room and stopped immediately when she noticed her mother down on her knees, scrubbing relentlessly at the tile below. "What're you doing? You could just use a mop, y'know." Cheyenne giggled as she spoke, having never seen her mother clean the floor in such an odd way.

"I know."

"Okay, then. You're in a bad mood. Is it still from your trip? Do you want to talk about it?" She pulled out one of the chairs surrounding the kitchen table and plopped down, grabbing an apple from the bowl in front of her.

"Not really." Reba continued to focus on the task at hand, afraid she'd spill everything to Cheyenne if she looked away. She wanted nothing more than to tell someone the secret she was holding in, but Lori Ann had moved away a long time ago and there was no other option.

Cheyenne bit into the shiny, red fruit and waited a moment before speaking once again. What happened on that trip to make her mother so fowl? She had to wonder. "C'mon, mom, it couldn't have been that bad. I mean, you and dad were friends at one – "

"Cheyenne, please, just give me some peace and quiet." Reba gritted through her teeth, rather harsher than she had intended to. This whole situation had her on edge and her self-control was diminishing more by the second. She didn't know how else to behave.

"You know what? I'll come back when you're not in such a mood." Reba could hear the hurt in her voice and felt the guilt wash over her. She hadn't spent time with Cheyenne in so long and here she was, watching as her daughter stormed out of the kitchen door. She wanted to tell her to stop, but she couldn't.

Once the door clicked shut, Reba threw the sponge off to the side, immediately feeling the water hit her forearm as it squished from its surface with a soft thud. She pressed her back up against the cupboard and leaned her head into her hands.

She was about to lose it all. Between Cheyenne; and Brock; and Kyra; and Barbara Jean, she had so much to worry about that she didn't know where to start. It was all becoming too overwhelming and she could feel the lump climbing up the back of her throat. The tears stung as they slipped through her eyelids and stained her cheeks.

She had done the one thing she had sworn she never would this weekend. She had fallen back into his arms and was about to mess this family up even more.

It wasn't long before the tears fell heavily and a sob escaped her throat. Who was this person? She didn't recognize her. This person was weak, nothing like the Reba she knew and she kicked herself for it. Her strength was the only thing she had known for years now. What was she to do without it?

Cheyenne took another bite of her apple as she made her way down the driveway. She couldn't believe her mother, always complaining she never sees her anymore, but goes and does this when she does finally come over? She scoffed to herself.

She was pulled from her thoughts as she spotted Brock making his way up her mother's driveway. Just what her mom needs, the cause of the problem to drop by.

"Hey, honey."

"I wouldn't go in there if I were you, Red's in a mood." She took another bite of her apple and continued to walk.

Brock just stood there stupidly and watched his daughter walk away, before turning and cautiously entering what once was his kitchen.

The house was dead silent and he looked around to see any evidence of life. The kitchen was empty, the living room seemed to be empty, what was Cheyenne talking about?

And that's when he heard that heart wrenching sound escape from behind the island. He quickly rounded the counter to see Reba seated on the floor, crying into her palms. He froze, the sight absolutely breaking his heart. She was always so strong, so damn strong. The sight of her being anything other than that always had a strong effect on him.

"Oh, honey." He kneeled next to her and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly against his chest. Another sob escaped her throat and he winced at the sound. She was in pain and it was all because of him.

Reba sat there, pressed into his body, his warmth surrounding her for what felt like forever. She hadn't spoken, she only cried, letting everything that had been consuming her for the last two days loose. And while she didn't like people to see her cry, she was thankful that Brock had shown up when he did. Had it been anyone else, she'd be mortified.

Brock smoothed her hair against her back, rubbing soothing circles against the fabric of her shirt. Before he could think twice, he slid his other hand under her knees and lifted her into the air. He had expected her to make a noise at the sudden change in position, but she didn't. She only wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled her nose further into him.

He knew just what to do.

He carried her up the staircase and to her bedroom, moving as quietly as possible as he had no idea who else was home. He used his foot to close the bedroom door behind him and made a beeline to her bathroom. He flicked on the light and Reba finally lifted her head from his neck, her eyes puffy and bloodshot.

"What're you doin'?" Her voice was hoarse and he was suddenly wondering how long she had been crying.

"Just wait." He sat her in a seated position on the edge of the bathtub and reached from the nob, the warm water rushing from the spout and quickly filling the tub. He kneeled in between her knees and looked at her. She looked exhausted and worn down, how hadn't he seen that earlier?

"Lift your arms."

"Brock…"

"I said, lift them."

Reba did as she was told and lifted her arms above her head. Brock reached for the hem of her shirt and gently pulled it up the length of her torso. A warm bath always soothed her, so that was what he was going to give her.

Once the shirt was free from her body, he placed his hands on her hips and forced her to stand above him. He popped the button through the loop and drug the zipper down its track.

Reba gripped his shoulders and he peeled the denim from her body, taking her panties down with them. She was soon bare to the room and she had to admit, she felt somewhat uncomfortable. It was one thing being in front of him like this on their weekend, but this was her home. This was their reality. And being naked in this bathroom with him, brought back more memories than she'd care to admit.

He wrapped an arm around her legs as he reached behind her and turned off the tap. He dipped his finger into the water to make sure it wasn't too hot.

"Go on, get in." His voice was soft and she couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips. The one thing he was always good at was taking care of her.

Reba stepped into the warm water and stood there for a moment as she readied herself. Finally she sat down in the ivory tub, the water sloshing around her for a split second. She rested her back against the end of the tub, feeling her entire body relax, and turned her gaze toward Brock.

"I'm sorry." He had a smile on his face as he watched her and despite everything, she felt her heart flutter in response. But the smile faded when he registered her words.

"You don't have a thing to be sorry about, Reba. _I'm_ sorry." They held each other's gaze for a moment and Reba could feel the sincerity in his words. He was blaming himself and that realization stung. She was as equally at fault as he. "Now scoot up and lean your head back, let me clean those curls of yours."

He poured the water over her scalp, gently running his rough hands over her smooth, red locks. He was taking his time that she knew, not wanting to rush through the moment. He hadn't done this since she was pregnant with Jake and she found herself closing her eyes and taking in his soft caress. It had been so long since she had experienced this side of Brock and right now she realized just how much she missed him.

Once her hair was rid of the rose-scented soap, he leaned forward and placed a delicate kiss on her forehead.

"I'll let you finish up in here and I'll wait downstairs, okay?" She nodded and he kissed her once again. He hoped with everything inside of him that this would be over soon. He knew she couldn't take it much longer and nor could he. He could not stand seeing the love of his life in so much pain.

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 **I just wanted to take the time to thank everyone who has read this story. The reaction this has gotten has outdone the rest of my stories and warmed me to the core. I appreciate every one of you who takes the time to read and review, or even just the time to read. So, truly thank you. You have made writing this story a pleasure and I will be finishing it up in the next chapter.**


	16. Chapter 16

The Weekend

Chapter Sixteen

Reba giggled and leaned her head back further into the pillow behind her. Her skin tingled underneath his lips as he slowly traced them down her torso. Her giggle, however, was replaced with a gasp as she felt him continue his trail passed her belly button, his head disappearing underneath the dark grey sheets.

"Brock..." She breathed his name when she felt him connect with her. Her entire body buckled under his lips and she arched her back in response. Something about this felt extremely personal and exotic all at once. She hadn't prepared for this, she'd never really felt anything quite like it before.

Brock didn't say a word, he only continued to do what he'd been longing to do for over twenty years.

Reba dug one hand into his hair and used the other to grip the sheets beside her. Her heart was about to beat clean out of her chest.

"Reba? Reeeeeeeba? REBA?"

Reba's eyes fluttered open to the sound of Barbara Jean calling her name from behind her bathroom door. She was still in the bath? She'd clearly fallen asleep, she thought as she felt the flush from her dream still evident on her cheeks. She was supposed to be feeling guilty, not having sex dreams whilst in the bathtub. She lifted the hand that was gripping her thigh and held it in front of her face. She was turning into a prune, just how long had she been in here?

"REBA!?"

She closed her eyes and prayed for the lord to take her right then and there. Why was the woman repeatedly shouting her name? She did not have the energy to deal with this, especially after having a dream about said woman's _husband_ between her thighs.

"Barbara Jean, would you knock it off!" She shouted and stood from the lukewarm water, reaching for the towel that hung on the wall next to her.

"Can I come in?"

Reba wrapped the towel around her slender frame and scoffed at the blonde's words. "No, you can't come in, you buffoon, I'm necked."

"Hurry up then! I need to talk to you and Brock."

Reba froze and her heart sunk into her stomach. Did she know? What could she possibly need to talk to the two of them about other than the events of the weekend?

"I'll be down in a minute." She managed to croak out as she braced her body against the bathroom counter. Did Brock tell her? Did Kyra figure it out? What had happened between the time she had gotten into the bathtub and now? Her nerves were starting their climb up her chest and she knew something wasn't right.

She waited until she was sure that Barbara Jean was no longer in her bed room before she exited the bathroom. She quickly crossed the room and locked the door before Barbara Jean could burst in once again.

"Everything is fine. It is probably nothing. One of her beanie babies probably just got into a fight with another and she's here to tell you all about it." Reba desperately tried to calm herself down. If she walked downstairs this close to a panic attack, everyone would know something was up.

She dried herself off and threw on the pajamas she had been wearing before. She placed a hand on her chest and closed her eyes before inhaling deeply and exhaling. Well, now was as good a time as ever.

Reba descended the stairs to see Brock sitting on the couch next to Barbara Jean, no one else in sight. Brock's eyes immediately locked with hers and she could see that he, too, was freaking out.

So, he hadn't told her.

"Oh, hey, Reba, 'bout time you got your butt downstairs." The blonde stood up from the couch and gently nudged Reba's arm.

"Hey... What's all this about?" She looked to Barbara Jean who had a goofy grin on her face, not the look of a scorned ex-friend. She shifted her gaze to Brock who was nervously wringing his hands in his lap.

"Sit down, we need to talk." She sat in the chair at the end of the coffee table and motioned for Reba to take a seat next to Brock. Reba swallowed hard, her throat dry from all of the possibilities running through her mind. Once seated, she ran her sweaty palms over her ratty plaid PJ bottoms. Silence surrounded them and she hoped Barbara Jean would speak soon, she could feel the verbal diarrhea forming in her chest. Who knows what she'd spill if this silence never ended.

Barbara Jean eyed the two of them, they were both clearly freaking out and it took everything inside of her not to giggle out loud. She needed to do this while she had their full attention, giggling would only wreck that.

"Did y'all have a good weekend? Together? I bet being alone in that motel room brought back a lot of memories?"

Brock choked on air and Reba turned her head towards him, giving him the meanest glare she could muster. It felt like the two of them were teenagers being questioned by their parents.

"Was it _hot_ where you guys were? It was _hot_ in Lubbock." Barbara Jean spoke nonchalantly, enjoying this a little too much. It was becoming more and more apparent that she knew, but how? Reba's stomach churned at the thought and she felt Brock move closer to her and put his hand on the small of her back.

"Just get this over with, Barbara Jean." He said impatiently, he had no time for his wife's games. If she knew, she knew and he would deal with it. He was going to tell her anyway.

"Alrighty then, I know what happened on the weekend between you two." She crossed her arms in front of her chest and watched as they both reacted to what she had just said.

"Listen, Barbara Jean..." Reba was about to speak, but was cut off when the blonde interjected.

"No, Reba, just listen to me for a second, okay? I see the way you two look at each other, I've seen it almost every day for the last seven years. I know when Brock was unhappy it was because he wasn't with you, _I know_. It wasn't lost on me. Geez, Reba, I've caught him starin' at you like you're a piece of meat on more than one occasion. I don't know how you never noticed. He got me pregnant so he married me because he thought that was the right thing to do, but he never stopped lovin' you. I can see that in the way he is with you, in the way he talks about you when you're not around. And I know you try and tell yourself that you don't love him, but I know you do. You always have."

"Barbara Jean, I don't understand." What exactly was his wife saying? Where was this coming from? She'd said nothing to him throughout the years.

"You two love each other and you're both too damn stubborn to admit that, so I decided to help." A smirk crossed the blonde's lips and Reba felt like she was trapped in a daydream. What in the heck was happening?

"You what?"

"Yeah, I knew Brock wouldn't get through that drive all in one night and there's only one motel on the way to Lubbock. It wasn't that hard. Mrs. Shannon? The sweet 'ol lady who owns the motel? We go way back, she was happy to help, she even offered to slash y'alls tires for me. She was brilliant." Barbara Jean recounted the story a little too happily for Reba's comfort.

"You planned this?" Brock felt confused and betrayed and really didn't know what to think at the moment.

"Well, yeah. I knew the pair of you couldn't be in a motel room alone for four days without somethin' happening. I figured you'd either fall back into your old ways or one of you would end up murdered. I'm so glad it was the latter."

"You mean to tell me you planned all of this?" Reba's voice became louder as she spoke and she stood from the couch and stared at the blonde in disbelief. "Out of all of the boneheaded things you've done... He's your _husband._ "

"Well, not technically anymore."

Reba stepped back and looked at Barbara Jean as if she had two heads. "What?"

"Remember that permission slip you signed the other day?" Brock nodded slowly and waited for her to continue. "Yeah, those were divorce papers."

"What?" He shouted and stood alongside Reba.

"You fell for it, too. Didn't you think it was a little weird you had to sign more than once?" Barbara Jean smirked and Brock just stood there dumbfounded. This was without a doubt the weirdest thing his crazy wife, now ex-wife, had ever done. "You guys were my puppets."

Both Reba and Brock sat back down on the sofa and tried to digest this in the silence. They'd been feeling guilty this whole time when it was really her doing? She had someone slash their tires? Good god, she was crazier than they had both realized.

"Okay, let's just go with this insanity for a moment. Aren't you mad at us? We betrayed you." Reba's voice was quiet, she was worried about her friend. Sure, she had planned this but that didn't change the fact that cheated with her best friend's husband.

"Not really, under any other circumstances I know neither of you would ever have acted on your feelings. The only reason you did this weekend was because of me. Think of it as my blessing. You two are my best friends in this whole wide world and the only reason you split up was because of me. I want you both to be happy, this is my way of fixing everything I've broken."

"But what'll happen with you?" Reba was touched by the gesture, despite how crazy it was. She still couldn't believe it.

"Oh, I've been seein' someone. His names Nathan, I met him at that dental conference I went to a few months ago. This one's not married, Reba. He's who I'm supposed to be with." She smiled, proudly. She knew it was a lot for them to take in, but they'd get used to it.

"Well, I guess I'm happy for you, Barbara Jean."

Brock remained quiet, he didn't know quite what to say. One second he was married and in love with his ex-wife, and now he was single with two ex-wives.

"Thank you. Now, I'm going to leave you two alone to discuss all of this."

Once Barbara Jean had exited the house, Reba turned to Brock who had yet to say anything. "How about that?" She joked nervously. She felt relieved and used all at once. Barbara Jean just outsmarted the two of them and she never thought she'd see that day.

"Brock?"

"She tricked me into signing divorce papers, Reba." He continued to stare at the wall in front of him, running a hand through his hair. If his wife had been normal, she would've gutted both of them not planned an elaborate weekend to get them back together. But then again, he'd always known she wasn't quite normal.

"Yeah, she did that." What was running through his mind? Was this not what he wanted now that he had it? Had he intended to be all talk and no game?

"Well, then. I guess I'm going to need a place to stay." He turned to her with a smile on his face. All of the questions invading Reba's mind vanished when she registered what he had just asked.

"Huh, it just so happens that I have a place right here next to me, if you want it." She returned his grin and stared back into his eyes.

"Honey, that's all I've ever wanted."

He brought his hand up to her cheek and dug his fingertips into her hair, his thumb resting in front of her ear. His lips gently touched hers and Reba could feel the difference in their kiss. It felt... better. They had a lot to still figure out, but this was good enough for now. They were both finally where they needed to be for the first time in seven years, all thanks to the weekend.

The End.

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 **I would just like everyone to know that I've switched over to Wattpad in case you're wondering why I'm no longer updating on here!**


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